Hollow
by Vithian
Summary: My life was destroyed in seconds. I saw everything I had ever known and loved crumble before my eyes. It doesn't matter anymore. I can't feel depressed or angry. Because I'm hollow inside. AU
1. Prologue Part 1: Axel

**A/N: Hello all of you people in FanFiction land! Welcome to Vithian's dark and depressed corner! Please, enjoy your stay!  
Warnings: This shall be the only warning you get! It shall contain: Dark themes, slash, het (possibly, the jury's out to lunch at the moment, so I can't really ask them) and... um... song-y goodness? Swearing later on... If any of these offend you, turn back now. This is the only warning you'll get, so I don't wanna hear any complaints of how I didn't inform you  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, many things would be canon_. _Roxas would not have merged with Sora, he would instead live a happy life with Axel. Kairi would end up with Yuffie (Read _Ordinary Adventures _Metal Chocobo then tell me it sounds weird!) Luxord would have a larger part, same with Xigbar. Zexion, Vexen and Marluxia wouldn't have died in CoM, in fact, no one in the Organization would've died except Xaldin and Lexaeus, since I hate them. Don't ask why.  
I don't own Final Fantasy either. If I did, Reno would be the main character, Zack would have never died and Cloud wouldn't be an emo bitch.**

**Please excuse my rant.**_  
_

* * *

_The start of Armageddon, it was just another day  
We all saw the news, nothing to say  
So many friends are missing, and family members gone  
So we all pray that God help them be strong_

**0o0o0o0o0**

Darkness is surrounding me. I can't find the way out. My body is cramped and stuck in a precarious position. I'm suffocating, unable to breath. There is something that I'm inhaling that's making me cough and shaking my thin frame. Is that... A light? Yes, light! I push up at whatever is crushing me and hope fills my heart as it moves, and I can hear something cracking and suddenly, the weight is much lighter, and I manage to push whatever it is out of the way completely. I can hear it cracking and breaking as it rolls away.

Fresh air suddenly assaults my senses; it seems much colder than before. I take a gigantic gulp and try to move. Sudden pain shoots up my left arm, making me wince. Keeping my arm still, I lift my head out of the crevice I was stuck in. The first thing I see is a grey sky, made even darker with the smoke drifting up from the remains of a once great city.

I slowly lift my body out of its awkward position, making sure that my left arm doesn't move anymore than necessary. I take a look, accessing my injuries. I've got a broken arm and my right leg hurts quite a lot. I also seem to be bleeding a bit, but it doesn't seem to major. Running my hand through my hair, I try not to gasp as I see it covered in blood once I pull it out. I look around, trying to think of what to do now.

There are no buildings anymore; they've all been reduced to debris in the street. Everywhere I look there is more devastation and wreckage from a nightmare I won't soon forget. But that's not the worse part.

The worst part is the many bodies among the debris, some alive, some dead. Those that are alive are screaming in agony or trying to crawl away from some invisible monster. My mind isn't registering any of it; I think I'm still in shock. The odour floating through the air is putrid, smelling of smoke and death.

I'm sitting on top of a pile of rubble, most of it looks like plaster from a building. I try and manoeuvre my way down without upsetting my arm or my leg. And after much pain, my feet hit solid ground. I collapsed, relief flooding through my veins. I'm one of the lucky ones. I could've been lying dead on the side of the road. I might've never seen my friends or family again.

I still might never see them again.

The thought makes me freeze and send chills down my spine. I fall into a coughing fit and roll onto my back. I just want to rest for a moment... Just one moment...

_**0o0o0o0o0  
**__Hate is turn to others  
For their religion or their skin  
But hate can't solve the problem it began_  
_**0o0o0o0o0**_

_"Dad? They... They aren't serious, are they?" My voice is timid, something I'm sure has never happened before. Usually, I'm full of confidence._

_"I don't know son." I was sitting in the living room with my dad, Reno and Roxas. My mother had left last year, taking my little sister Kairi with her. Roxas was sleeping over and Reno was my older brother. He was seven, and already knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a SOLDIER, a Turk to be specific._

_We had just turned on the T.V., my dad wanted to watch the news. Roxas and I wanted an excuse to stay up late, and Reno just wanted to look smart. We hadn't expected to be greeted with an urgent message addressed to all inhabitants of Twilight Town. We were going to be bombed._

_"D-Dad?" Never, in all six years of my existence, had I heard Reno stutter. It just didn't happen._

_"Axel? What's going on?" Roxas' hesitant voice cut through my shock. The small blonde was just four years old, not old enough to fully understand what was going on. Hell, I wasn't old enough to understand completely, but I knew enough about this war to know that being bombed wasn't good._

_The war has lasted for nine years, both sides fighting desperately with whatever they had left. The two sides were the inhabitants of The World That Never was, and_ _Radiant Garden. Twilight Town was a neutral party, though most simply said it sided with Radiant Garden because it was closer._

_Now, The World That Never Was, was bombing Twilight Town in a desperate attempt to decrease morale among those who fight for Radiant Garden. The bombers were already on their way. They weren't going to evacuate the city, there wasn't enough time. They were going to scour the city for survivors after, but it was doubted anyone would live..._

_"Roxas? Would you like to go home? To spend some time with your family?" My dad asked. We both knew it was doubtful we had enough time to get to Roxas' house, but the option should be there._

_"No, my family is right here." I don't think the little toddler knew how much those words meant to the three of us. I hugged Roxas, his blond spikes tickling my chin, and I didn't let go. Reno and dad joined our little circle, as we waited for the inevitable._

_**0o0o0o0o0  
**__Everyone is angry  
People are afraid  
No one knows what decisions will be made  
__**0o0o0o0o0**_

"Dad?" My voice hitched, my coughing starting to subside. "Reno?" I was getting more desperate, hoping, praying for someone to answer to me. I few rogue tears slipped down my cheeks, leaving wet trails on the grime that covered my face. "ROXAS?" I shouted it, before breaking down and crying, the reality catching up with me.

I'm not sure how long I lied there, simply bawling my eyes out. When I finally stopped, my body felt like it weighed 100 kilos. The pain had turned into a gentle numbness. I lifted myself up to a sitting position, and attempted to stand. My knees were shaking, but I took a step, and then another, and another. I made my way down the street, not really watching where I was going. I just needed to move, to get away.

I'm not too sure where I am anymore. When all the distinguishing features have been blown to bits, it's kind of hard to tell. But I can't hear any screaming, anything. An eerie silence has settled over the ruins of Twilight Town.

The numbness was spreading. It had started in my left arm, then my right leg, and now it was slowly climbing, suffocating me. I trudge on, but even my sluggish mind can tell I can't go on for much longer.

The silence was suddenly broken, the sounds of many boots crunching down a path, voices screaming and yelling and cars starting up constantly. I can't put it together, and before I know it, they're at the other end of the street, speeding towards me. It's a mass of silver cloaks, some riding on a jeep, others running beside it. There was one man holding onto the side bar, and a trailer was attached to the back. The man holding onto the side bar was wearing a black cloak, and he stood out against the thirty silver.

I simply stood and watched, my emerald eyes glazed and unfocused. I knew who they were, everyone recognised those cloaks, even those who never saw them.

This was a tiny section of The World That Never Was Armada. Twaza, as they were known colloquially. Reno had once informed me of the different ranking system that they use. The ones in the tight fitting silver cloaks are Dusks, the lowest rank. They're the common foot soldiers, the ones who do most of the work. They're also the most expendable.

The next rank is Heartless. They ride the horses. I couldn't see any at the moment, but they have black armour and a helmet that covers their face. Instead, they have giant yellow panes of glass. They also have antennae, which pick up radio signals from the closest Twaza outpost.

The top rank is Organization XIII. They're named after the infamous thirteen that founded The World That Never Was. Only the best of the best make it to Organization XIII, and not many stay there. They where long black cloaks, each one altered to suit the person. The fact that one was here was almost enough to shock me out of my dazed state. Almost.

The jeep pulled to a stop in front of me, the Dusks surrounded me. As if I was going to run away. The one in the black cloak jumped off and strode through the many Dusks, each one quickly parting out of the way.

See, Reno told me that Dusks were kind of strange. They were constantly moving, as if stopping would kill them. Maybe it did, no one really knew. So I wasn't surprised when the mob remained a flurry of movement, the actions fluid and in all directions. It was kind of like a dance.

The Organization XIII member was right in front of me now. I gazed up, seeing nothing but darkness underneath his hood. Reaching up, he pulled it off, to reveal nothing more than a blond teenager. His hair was long and he had two bangs that framed his face, his eyes were a deep green and held a cold and calculating look. Despite only being several years older than me, he was frightening. He grabbed me by the collar and inspected me closely. I stared back into his eyes, trembling with fright.

"What's your name?" He asked, his voice high pitched and cunning, cocking his head as he said it.

"Axe-" I was cut off with a coughing fit. "Axel Taylor."

He studied me, as if I was a test subject. Suddenly, he sneered.

"Throw him in the back with the others!" I was handed to two Dusks who had come forward to take me. They gripped me tight, but I wasn't going to fight, I had nowhere to go. The teenager stalked off and pulled his hood back up. I was thrown into the trailer, and I hit the cold metal hard. Rubbing my head, I inspected who 'The Others' were.

In the trailer were three kids. One was a small child about my age with dirty blond hair who was currently curled up on the filthy metal trying to sleep, and shivering violently. His hair seemed to have been burnt on the sides, giving him a look that reminded me of either a Mohawk or a mullet. I wasn't too sure which one.

A teenager was sitting in the corner, gazing dejectedly off to the side. He had short pink hair and it looked like he was trying to not put any weight on his left foot. He had deep blue eyes that displayed his every emotion. He didn't even look at me when I was thrown in.

The last child looked about four or five, and was sitting on the teenager's lap, clutching a singed book to his chest as tears streamed down his face. He had slate coloured hair and cobalt eyes. One of them looked severely injured, as it was bleeding profusely.

I was injured, everyone I knew was dead, I had nothing and I was captured by the enemy...

Things weren't looking too good.

_**0o0o0o0o0  
**__And we don't know why  
The innocent die  
Will this world ever find a way to change?  
And we don't know why  
But we know it's not right  
Don't know why so many had to die  
Don't know why so many had to die

* * *

  
_**The song is 'The Innocent' by Good Charlotte.  
Read and Review!  
~Vithian**


	2. Prologue Part 2: Reno

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I didn't update for ages! I'm still here, don't worry! It's just... I lost all inspiration for Kingdom Hearts stuff... I wrote heaps of one shots, mainly Naruto one shots... Anyway, the point is! I am alive and updating! Now, this one's shorter than the last (sorry!) but I wrote it all tonight, and it's approaching midnight now, so I've been writing furiously for the past half hour and got... this.**

**This one's Reno's POV. It was going to be Roxas, but I found out that a) I can't write Roxas for the life of me and b) I love Reno. So yeah...  
Also, I'm looking for side characters. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll try and work them in!**

**Don't mind me, on with the story!  
**

* * *

_Warm yourself by the fire, son,  
And the morning will come soon.  
I'll tell you stories of a better time,  
In a place that we once knew_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

I hate hospitals. Hate the smell, hate the fake smile all the doctors and nurses wear, hate the constant sound of beeping from nearby heart monitors. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

However, I just _can't _bring myself to leave. The simple idea of it makes me sick. So I sit here, watching Roxas' comatose body and trying not to think back to when it all went wrong.

_The smell of soot and chemicals, something that reminded of me of when Axel tried to make a fire in his fireplace. When he failed to set the sticks on fire, he decided that grabbing whatever chemicals he could find and pouring them all over the sticks was a great idea. Another great idea, stealing my lighter and setting the many chemicals alight…_

I smile at the memory, not a happy smile, but one filled with remorse. Thinking of Axel only brings tears to my eyes. I shake my head, trying to rid the evil thoughts from my brain. It doesn't work. My mind betrays me, replaying the last things I remember over and over again, like a broken record.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_  
_

_Before we packed our bags  
And left all this behind us in the dust,  
We had a place that we could call home,  
And a life no one could touch._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Die. I was going to die._

_It was that simple. One look at my father told me I was right, one look at my brother told me he'd reached the same conclusion. One look at Roxas told me he didn't understand._

_I didn't have the heart to explain it._

_Axel gets up and drags his feet over to Roxas and hugs him. I can see he's crying, thinking of all the stuff that none of us will ever get to do. Axel never cries, not even when he accidently cut his arm when he was playing with a butcher's knife. He just told me to get Dad and stared at it. It was kind of freaky…_

_I'm brought back to the present by the sound of something exploding, something close. Axel jumps up, terrified, whilst Roxas catches on to the panic, terror taking over his features._

_Another explosion, even closer, exactly one minute apart from the first. Unknowingly, I start counting down the seconds in my head, and once I realize that I'm counting down to my death, it's too late to stop._

_27…_

_26…_

_25…_

_Axel looks to me, eyes wide and pupils large. He just looks at me, and his green eyes bore holes in my blue ones._

_13…_

_11…_

_10…_

_9…_

_I take one glance at Dad. He seems ten years older, his green eyes showing no life. He just sits there, oblivious to the world around him._

_8…_

_7…_

_6…_

_5…_

_4…_

_Taking a deep breath, I try to make myself feel calmer. Axel's pacing, something he always does when he can't think of anything else. He never could sit still for longer than a minute._

_3…_

_Roxas is sitting on the floor, right in front of me. I make the mistake of looking into his blue eyes, which are wide and frightened, making him look like a cartoon character._

_2…_

_I shake my head, as if telling him there's no hope. The light in his eyes dies, and he looks down. Axel stops pacing, and holds him tight. I watch them, a regretful smile on my face._

_1…_

_I silently say goodbye to everything I had known._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Don't hold me up now,  
I can stand my own ground,  
I don't need your help now,  
You won't let me down, down, down!_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

I thought I was as good as dead. I would've been if the wooden banister didn't fall right over my head, not hitting me, but protecting my from the majority of rubble.

Of course, I was still hurt. My arm was fractured and my head had a gash down the side, but I wasn't that bad off.

Not compared to some of the people I'd seen.

Roxas, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. The banister that protected me landed on his leg, breaking it in three places. His chest had excessive amounts of pressure on it, breaking several ribs and making it hard to breathe.

When I woke up, I managed to push most of the rubble off me, before remembering Roxas and Axel. I quickly dug, cutting me hands in several places but I kept going.

I found Roxas and amanged to get him out. He wouldn't wake up, but he was breathing, so that was a start. Axel, however, couldn't be found. I wouldn't give up, I couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up on me.

So I kept digging. I didn't even notice the loud whirring of a helicopter until the winds started to blow pieces of wood in my eyes. But I didn't look up. All my attention was on the debris in front of me.

Eventually, a woman pulled me off. I fought her, screaming that she had to let me search for her brother. She turned me around, looking me straight in the eye. She was short, with auburn hair and soft brown eyes.

She was wearing a suit that, even in my hysterical state, I recognized.

"You're… You're a Turk!" My voice sounded so high and panicked, but I didn't really care. Turks! She was a Turk!

"You're right!" She flashed me a smile, still staring me in the eye. "I'm Cissnei, and I need to get you and your friend out of here." Cissnei was obviously relieved I'd stopped fighting her, and I was happy to have met a Turk.

"But… But my brother…"I looked over at the debris which used to be my house, and I knew that I couldn't leave without checking ever inch of that rubble.

"We can search for you. We have to get all refugees out of here first though. For all you know, he may be somewhere else in the city." I didn't even hear the last bit, my mind caught up on the fact that they'd help me. "Now, since we found you before the cars could get here, we're going to send you on the helicopter. That okay?"

I couldn't even believe she was asking! I gave an eager nod and went to pick Roxas up. Cissnei, stopped me, instead scooping Roxas up in her arms. Unhappy at the idea of someone else carrying Roxas, I simply followed.

Thinking about all the things I was going to miss, I almost stepped over one of my most important possessions. My goggles.

One of the lenses was seriously cracked, they were covered in dust and near destroyed. But they were there.

I picked them up and slipped them on, not caring what I looked like. I needed something 'normal'.

Besides, if my goggles can survive, Axel can, right?

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_We are the angry and the desperate,  
The hungry, and the cold,  
We are the ones who kept quiet,  
And always did what we were told._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

So here I was, in a small hospital room with twenty other people, most of them comatose. Almost none of them had other people around them. I felt terrible, knowing that Roxas would wake up to find a familiar face, whilst all these other people would wake up to find no one.

Suddenly, I felt restless. I had to move, to do _something_, but I'd already been told I was too young to help. I knew that, but I hate feeling helpless. Hate it with a passion.

I let my eyes wander over to the poor soul in the bed next to Roxas. He was small, tiny in fact. The bed didn't make him look any taller. His silver hair was long, making him look like a girl. Or, was he a girl? She? I don't know. Either way, _it_ looked absolutely angelic.

Something started rustling, and I saw only people in the room who weren't unconscious look around to try and find the source, hoping it to be their loved one.

I got lucky for the second time.

Roxas' blue eyes flew open, his body suddenly rigid, his heart beat increasing. No doctors appeared, seeing as they were all busy trying to save those who were already dying. In a minute, his heart beat was regular, but his eyes were unfocused. I squeezed his hand and those blue orbs were directed at me.

"Reno…" His voice was scratchy but just hearing it lifted my spirits. He was alright. I couldn't handle another death today.

"Hey Roxas… Welcome back to the land of the living." Being me, I tried to make a joke. Being him, Roxas tried to smile. Before he closed his eyes and went to sleep. I sighed, and started to play the waiting game. _Again._

But now my hopes were higher. Roxas was alive, he was going to be fine.

So Axel would be fine too.

Because anything my goggles can survive, he can too.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Don't hold me up now,  
I can stand my own ground,  
I don't need your help now,  
You won't let me down, down, down!_

* * *

**A/N: That wasn't really worth the wait... But we're getting into the plot, I promise!  
The song was: Prayer of The Refugee by Rise Against**

**And I don't own anything. Seriously, this is _fan_ fiction.**

**Please don't kill me...  
~Vithian**


	3. Prologue Part 3: Axel

**A/N: Two updates in two days? I'm spoiling you... This is me making up for the wait last time! See? It's longer! 3,000 something words! Woo hoo!**

**There's also more dialogue in this one. I noticed a disturbing lack of dialogue in the others, so this one has quite a bit...  
Side characters anyone? I don't really want to use any OC's unless _absolutely_ necessary! So suggestions please!**

**On with the story!  
**_

* * *

I've been dreaming for so long,  
To find a meaning, to understand.  
The secret of life,  
Why am I here to try again?_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

No one ever told me that riding for several hours in a trailer with several injuries would be like traveling to hell. I guess I could have figured that out on my own though…

At one point, I must of passed out, because next thing I know, I'm being poked sharply in the side with a stick. Opening my eyes seems an impossible task, but when I'm slapped on the side of the head, I decide it's for the best.

Mr Ice Eyes, as I'd so affectionately named the blond Organization member, was in front of my with a wide sneer on his face, as if interacting with me was a chore. In his mind, it probably was. Deciding it was for the best, I forced my body to move, despite the sharp pain that seemed to rip my body in two.

"Vexen, I see you've brought some new recruits." A deep voice called out, and in walked maybe the single spookiest man I've ever seen.

His blue hair seemed gelled and his yellow eyes seemed to rip apart anything their gaze settled on. But that wasn't the scariest thing. There was something… _off_ about this man, even if he only appeared to be nearing his twenties. He seemed feral, wild, even if his calm demeanor showed nothing of this. I'm going to do anything in my power to avoid him.

Mr Ice Eyes, or Vexen I guess, snapped to attention, obviously afraid of the towering man, but he wouldn't let it show.

"I won't let you take him!" My eyes were drawn to a commotion about fifty meters away. The pink haired teen was surrounded by ten or so guards, each one in the required silver uniform.

"Hand over the toddler!" One of the guards barked. This one was wearing a slightly different uniform, probably a show of status. The head guard wore pointed shoulder pads and loose trousers. His arms were covered in gloves past his elbows and he wore the same type of helmet as his men did. Around his neck was a dark blue scarf which split into four pieces, flowing behind him.

The teen simple held the slate haired child closer, and started to back away from the circle that was slowly closing in. I wanted to go over, I wanted to help. But I could barely move as it is, and the guards were highly trained. They lived to fight.

"If you don't hand over the boy, we'll kill you both!" Head Guard threatened, raising his gun as if to prove his point. Pinky was about to spit out some retort, but was cut off by Mr Ice Eyes.

"Guard! Lower your weapon. We need them alive." Vexen walked in the circle, the guards parting to let him through. He faced Pinky, looked him right in the eyes and spoke barely above a whisper. "You may hold the boy for now, but only because we need him as much as we need you." With that, Vexen turned around, his long coat fluttering out behind him. He'd only taken about three steps when he stopped, and without turning around, simply said: "You will regret your decision to keep him close." Mr Ice Eyes stormed off, disappearing into a close building.

"Ahh, Vexen always did have temper…" A voice suddenly sounded from next my ear, causing me to jump. A boy of about ten was behind me, a smirk on his face. Despite his young age (I can't really talk, being four years younger), he was wearing an Organization XIII cloak. "Didn't scare ya, did I?"

His voice held a very obvious accent, though I couldn't say which one. He had an eye patch, which I thought may have just been for show, until I noticed the scar running down the left side. I tried not to look at, my father always told me that to stare at someones disfigurements was rude. Why I was worried about being rude to the ones that caused the death of my family and best friend, I don't know.

The boy's hair was tied back in a messy pony tail, and reminds me of my father's attempts to tie Reno's hair back, when the seven year old hated it. Except this boy had black hair, with white streaks. His amber eyes were studying me, mirth in his eyes. It felt like he was sizing me up, but not for a fight. More like if I'd be fun to prank.

"Names Xigbar! What about you?" The boy leant forward, urging me to speak.

"Axel." I would've jumped for joy if it wouldn't have looked strange. Xigbar was so easy to talk to, unlike the rest of the Organization members I'd met, which intimidated me to the point in which I found it hard to speak.

I blinked, and in that fraction of a second, Xigbar was gone. I looked around, panicked as to where he went, and saw him over with the crying boy, who had run out of tears and had resorted to curling up on the ground. The pony tailed boy was comforting him, saying that everything will be fine, that it's not so bad here.

Maybe Xigbar was right… I had nothing back in Twilight Town. Everyone I loved was dead… What else was there? The World That Never Was may have been the ones that bombed us, but one side would've done it eventually. Besides, T.W.A.Z.A got me out of the destroyed ruins of my home, where was SOLDIER, who were supposed to help us? They didn't even care.

"Report." A simple, one worded request from the blue-haired man I forgot was there. He was standing off to the side, but made his way to the centre when he had gathered our attention. I wasn't completely sure what to do, so I just stood there as Xigbar waltzed up to the front. I expected him to stand to attention, but he looked as if he didn't even care.

"Xigbar, who are and what can we do with these new recruits?" Wolfy (I think it suits him…) asked, with a look of boredom on his features. Xigbar raised his eyebrows, as if Wolfy could _dare_ to ask him something like that.

"Alright, let's see… Marluxia's the one with pink hair and the toddler's Zexion. They're brothers." Well, that explains why Marluxia wouldn't let him go. "Demyx is the blond and Axel is the redhead. As for what can we do? I have no idea. That's your choice, not mine." Xigbar shrugged and waltzed away, disappearing into a building. As soon as he was gone, Demyx started to sniffle, before returning to his curled up position on the ground.

Marluxia simply glared at Wolfy, holding Zexion closer. I just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Come on, don't you want to see your dormitories?" Xigbar called, appearing at one of the doors to the largest of buildings. Demyx scrambled to his feet and rushed after Xigbar, whilst Marluxia took more hesitant steps. I walked in, knowing I'd much rather be with Xigbar than Wolfy.

"Welcome to your new home! This is the main dormitory, where all the Dusks sleep." We walked down the centre of the room, bunk beds on either side. At the end of each bed was a chest, as well as on the left side. "Each Dusk gets a chest for their personal belongings. If you fail the test, then you are made a Dusk. You serve for either twenty years, or until you die. Whichever comes first!" The pony tailed boy turned around, smiling as if he'd made a great joke. The four of us just stared, though he didn't seem bothered by it.

Some of the Dusks were watching us, seeing if we'd join them, or join one of the higher ranks. Xigbar opened a door, and we continued our tour.

"This is the captains dormitory, where every Head and Specialised Guard lives." These were slightly better than the Dusks dormitory. There were 'rooms'. Kind of. Basically a wall separating you from those next to you. Each room still had bunk beds, but they also contained a small closet and bed side table. There were two chests next to the other as well.

"Head Guards are either Creepers or Twilight Thorns, depending on their power. Creepers are only slightly better than Dusks, whilst Twilight Thorns are more worthy of their title." Xigbar continued in his strange accent. "Specialised Guards have a special skill of some kind. Although they listen to all Organization members, they usually prefer listening to one person. Most likely one who shares their skill."

"Which ones listen to you?" Demyx asked in a small voice, still ridden with pain, but also fascination. I'd all but forgotten my injuries, but I knew that too long without treatment would cause infections. I didn't particularly want that at the moment.

"The Snipers. Great with guns, they are. Lotta fun too." Xigbar stopped at a door and punched in a passcode. I couldn't see it, but the door unlocked as soon as it was entered. We walked through, and were greeted with air conditioning. I didn't even notice it was hot until I was out of the warm air.

In here, there was a hallway with six doors on each side and on door down the end. It was nothing fancy, but at least there was privacy.

"This is Organization XIII's quarters. This is the best of the best. Well, besides the Superior's room, but this is the best anyone else can get. Quite a few of our members recently 'retired'," Xigbar turned around to face us, making quotation marks in the air. "So there's a chance you can score one of these babies!"

"What do we have to do?" Once again, the only person to speak was Demyx, who was gazing around at the rooms, a look of amazement on his face. Xigbar smiled at Demyx, a real smile, not a smirk. The boy's curiosity seemed to entertain the scarred man.

"To get one of these? Simple. Pass the test. But before we go on and on about that, let's get you cleaned up!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Will I always, will you always  
See the truth when it stares you in the face?  
Will I ever, will I never free myself  
By breaking these chains?_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

We were led into another building, this one the infirmary. They split us up into two groups, depending on the severity of our injuries. Marluxia had a serious blood loss problem and Zexion's right eye would probably never see again. They went down to blood transfusions whilst Demyx and I had serious burns, so we went to the burn ward.

Xigbar showed us the way, then escorted Pinky and Zexion down to blood transfusions. Demyx and I waited for a doctor, whilst the many guards in silver fidgeted. Sitting still is _so_ hard. I love my sarcasm.

Demyx and I sat in silence. I wanted to think of something to say, but I couldn't think of anything that didn't sound insensitive. Demyx, on the other hand, was staring off into space, hesitantly touching his right wrist.

"Hello, I'm Naminé and I'll be your doctor." A small girl on a white dress approached us, her blond hair just falling past her shoulders. She was holding a clipboard and had a small red cross on her dresses breast pocket. "I hear you two have some serious burns? Would you mind if I took a look at them?" Naminé put her clipboard on a nearby table and batted her blue eyes at us.

I wasn't really sure how serious my burns were, and I knew that Demyx had been burnt pretty badly, so I let him go first. The dirty blond seemed shocked that I'd do such a thing, but didn't say anything.

This was the first time I noticed what he was wearing. He had (what used to be) a t-shirt on with a burnt and ripped oversized trench coat on over it. The trench coat covered his arms and legs, making him look even smaller than he was. His pants were baggy and ripped at the ankles. Slowly, he took the trench coat off, baring his arms. I took a deep breath as I saw the extent of his injuries.

His arms were _covered_ in burns and gashes, as were his legs. My eyes widened, wondering how he managed to even walk with those.

"Well, we'll get some antiseptic and bandages and I'll fix you all up!" Naminé went over to the cupboard and began searching through the many chemicals.

"What happened to your hair?" I couldn't help it, I had to ask. It looked alright on him, but in no way did it look deliberate.

He didn't look offended, just… sad. "Burnt it. Fire was… everywhere. I'm lucky to still be alive. But I guess that's karma for you…" His statement confused me, but I didn't get to question him again as Naminé was back and bandaging his arms.

"Well, there's no major blood loss and there doesn't seem to be any infection, so you should be fine! Just take it easy, okay?"Demyx gave a nod, but his eyes weren't even looking at Naminé. If the blond noticed, she didn't give any indication. "Your turn now." She said, looking over at me.

She gave my arms a quick look over and shook her head. My arms were fine, apart from the left one being fractured. She put it in a sling, and when I asked her how she knew it was fractured without an x-ray, she simply smiled at me and said that after being a doctor at a camp like this, she can recognise broken bones anywhere.

Apart from the bad gash on the back of my head, which my hair covered well, I was quite alright. And some cuts on my arms and legs, but they were minor. I was basically fine, excluding my arm. They wouldn't give either of us painkillers, saying we get those at meals. When I asked why, Naminé said that people overdose and kill themselves. That makes sense.

When he came back to the main hallway, Xigbar was waiting, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Finally! Now you get to wait with me." Xigbar leant against the wall, back to his bored face. Demyx just stood there, his trench coat back on. I stood there as well, not really sure what to do.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a couple of minutes, Marluxia and Zexion came back, each one looking less pale than before. Except Zexion had a bandage wrapped around his head and Marluxia didn't have a shirt on. Instead, his chest was covered in bandages, making it a look like he was simply wearing a stripy t-shirt.

"Can we eat now?" Demyx piped up, blinking at Xigbar as if accentuating his large blue eyes.

"With the rest of the guard? As if! We have to wait until later. Well, not really me, more like you. I get to eat whenever I want. Saix just wants you guys to have a guide and since Marly here pissed Vexen off, that's me."

"Which one's Saix?" Demyx moved up beside Xigbar, the height difference making him crane his neck.

"Blue hair, gold eyes, always talks in monotone." Xigbar did a near perfect impression of Wolfy, which made Demyx laughed.

Laughter is infectious, because in a minute we were all laughing except little Zexy, who just stared at everyone. Kid's an emo already…

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_ I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul.  
I'd turn it back, it's my fault.  
Your destiny is forlorn,  
Have to live till it's undone.  
I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul.  
I'd turn it back and then  
At last I'll be on my way._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Dinner was surprisingly uneventful. The mess hall was a building of its own, and it was huge. Not just huge huge but _huge_ huge. The kind of huge that scares you.

Everything echoed, so we spent the first five minutes yelling things out. Except Pinky and Zexion. Pinky laughed quietly, but Zexion showed no emotion at all. Which was weird for a toddler. I think. The only toddler I know is Roxas, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Or eyes… Whichever one.

Just thinking about Roxas makes me feel terrible, so I've resolved to put it all behind me. I slip my hand into the pocket of trousers, when my hand brushes up against something small and wooden. I take it out, and I discover my (previously forgotten) ice cream stick. The one that says 'Winner!' on it. The one Roxas gave me…

I quickly try and swallow the tears that threaten to escape at all I've lost.

After we'd all eaten, we make our way to a small building off to the side. It looks almost exactly like the guards dormitories, but smaller. Much smaller. Only ten people could fit in here.

"This is where we keep new recruits under the age of fifteen. Any older and you get in the Dusks barracks. We don't get a lot of people under fifteen." Xigbar says with a smirk.  
"Once you guys are all healed up, we'll assign you to whatever rank you fit. Until then, think of a skill and a way to utilize it."He gives us a look over his shoulder as he leaves. "We give points for originality." And with that, he was gone.

We all chose beds that we'd be comfortable in. Pinky and Zexion were as far away from Dem and I as possible. Not that you can get very far away in a room this small. Demyx chose the bed next to mine and laid down, still in his trench coat.

"You got any idea what skill you can use?" I ask, hoping he doesn't. If I think with someone else, I'll probably think of something quicker.

"Absolutely none. You?" I shake my head. I'm not completely alone.

That means I'll get through this. I have to get through this.

For Roxas.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I've seen the horror, I've seen the wonders  
Happening just in front of my eyes.  
Will I ever, will I never  
Free myself by making it right?  


* * *

_**A/N: The song is Jillian by Within Temptation. It was going to be Angels by Within Temptation, but I was listening to this whilst writing and thought the lyrics fit.**

**Anyway_, _reviews would be much appreciated!  
~Vithian**


	4. Prologue Part 4: Zack

**A/N: Wow, I'm updating quick! I really need to update my other KH fic... If anyone is reading this one and Spiderwebs, sorry I haven't updated! Just... No inspiration... Anyway, here's another chapter for you awesome readers! Short A/N is short...**

**Oh! And this chapter is dedicated to The Wandering Apocalypse! Everyone go read _Time Heals All Wounds_! Thanks for being such a dedicated reviewer :D  
And thanks to all of those who have alerted/favourited/reviewed! I loves you all!  
**_

* * *

I can see  
When you stay low nothing happens  
Does it feel right?_

_Late at night  
Things I thought I'd put behind me  
Haunt my mind_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Strolling… Doesn't sound right. What about waltzing? No, that's too happy. Shuffling? Nah, you have to _actually_ shuffle for it to be that… Saunter?

Wait! I know! Amble! Yeah, that's right. At the moment, I'm _ambling_ down the hospital corridor, and I barely notice the small smile that's on my lips. Not my fault I'm compulsively happy. I wouldn't change it though, the looks you get when you've pulled you're arm out of its socket and you're smiling are hilarious!

That, and it's helped me get through some tough times.

As much as I don't mind the hospital, I certainly don't want to be here, with all the people who've lost everything because we couldn't get there in time. Damn Twaza…

Looking into some of the rooms I pass, I see them overcrowded, but all the people are injured. No one has uninjured family that weren't in Twilight Town at the time… What if they all lost their families? My family was fine, my mother being a doctor here, which was why I was here in the first place!

… Wow, I confuse my own brain. Good going, Zack. I rolled my eyes, the nurses not even paying attention. I was here often enough in the last few weeks for them to get used to my crazy acts.

See, it's been about three weeks since Twilight Town was bombed, and the hospitals have been flooded with injured. My mother was proud to work at the best hospital in Hollow Bastion, but every employee was working triple shifts to try and take care of all the wounded. So I got to stay at the hospital.

My father used to be part of SOLDIER. I say 'used to be' because he died on duty last year. I was horrified at the time, but I've accepted it. Besides, my older brother Angeal really helped.

Angeal was sixteen, eight years older than me. He got a job with Soldier, and was proving to be one of their best agents, apart from Sephiroth, of course. That guy was amazing. Big family though…

What was I talking about? Oh, right! Angeal! Anyway, he got a Buster Sword this year, a present that took ages for my mum to save up for. But it was worth it, the look on his face. He was so excited, but he said he would only use it in emergencies. When I asked him why, he simply looked at me and said:

_"Use brings about wear, tear and rust."_

But what was the point in having something if you didn't use it? Ah, I'll never understand my older brother's mind. He's so serious and grouchy all the time; I don't know how he can stay that way!

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I just know there's no escape now  
Once it's set its eyes on you  
But I won't run, have to stare it in the eye_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"W-What are you doing here?" The little blonds' voice was wavering and filled with pain. I didn't want to hear it like that. I'd kind of 'watched' him… Not anything stalkerish! Just… He was interesting. I don't know who he lost, but it was driving me crazy, so today, I wanted to ask him.

"Dunno. Just kind of wandered in here… Do you have any family or friends left?" Hmm… In my head, I planned to get to know him first. Ahh, the quicker, the better!

Of course, I didn't really think about the consequences of my actions, like I never do, so when the kid's eyes started to water, I had no idea what to do. So I did the first thing that came to mind. Because it worked so well the first time…

I walked over to his bed and hugged him. It may seem like a strange thing for a stranger to do, but he was only a toddler, and I'm guessing that he'd lost some important family or something for him to cry like that.

"Shhh… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked…" I didn't think, I _never_ think! Why did I insist on asking? Maybe I should leave; I'm probably only making it worse… Hey, his hair is all blond and swirly! Hmm… maybe I should pay more attention to what I think. Oh! I know, I'll tell him a story, that'll cheer him up!

"Do you mind if I tell you a story?" The blond nodded, tears streaming down his face now. That was a kick to the gut. If there's one thing I hate, it's feeling guilty. "This one starts with a little red head and a blond, who, surprisingly, looks almost exactly like you. I always called him Chocobo. These two got off to a rocky start. Red stole Chocobo's favourite toy. Course, Chocobo just cried 'til Red gave it back. And so started a strange friendship… Of sorts." I smiled. Blond had stopped crying, though he kept sniffling.

"These two grew closer and closer as time passed, and eventually, Chocobo figured out his feelings. He was in love with Red. Now, this was a shock to poor Chocobo, but he was fine with it. Problem was, now he didn't know how to act around Red. 'Specially when Red introduced Chocobo to his girlfriend." At this, Blond took a sharp intake of breath. The tears had completely stopped and Blond was entranced with the story.

"She was… Kind of like Chocobo, in a way. Blond, serious, all that jazz. Chocobo hid his jealousy well, but he'd never been the kind of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve. I think what hurt him most was just how happy Red was with her. That's what struck Chocobo the most.

Eventually, he gave up. He still loved Red with all his heart, but he couldn't take it anymore. He got a girlfriend, some flower chick, and convinced himself that he loved her. But his heart would forever be Red's… They didn't see each other again, but I know that at some point, whether it's this life or the next, they'll be together." I finished with a smile. Yeah, the story had a kind of sad ending, but I made sure that it still sounded kind of happy, like they still had a chance at being together, when I knew there was none. Because Chocobo had died last year. I would know.

He was my father, after all.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Stand my ground, I won't give in  
No more denying, I gotta face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will  
Stand my ground_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Blond had liked the story, despite its ending. He reminded me of my father so much, it was scary. But he wasn't. He was Blo-Roxas! His name was Roxas, not Blond! Must. Remember.

I think it's safe to say that remembering things isn't my strong point.

Now Roxas was sleeping with me at his bedside. I didn't want to leave him, not knowing if he had anyone to stay with him. He'd only been asleep five or so minutes when a panting red headed wonder comes rushing through the door, only to stop when he sees me at Roxas' bedside. On top of his head are a pair of extremely battered goggles.

"Who the hell are you?" Goggles says, not yelling, but anger is still lacing his words.

"Rude, aren't we?" I shoot him a smirk, and receive a glare in return. "Zack." I decide to play his game, not glaring, because I fail at glaring, but staring works.

"Reno." The same clipped tone that I used. Let's see how long 'Reno' can hold up? "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Taking care of Roxas." The look he gave me was one of pure evil. Or anger. "Something I think _you've_ been neglecting to do." Ah, nope! This look is one of pure evil. Maybe provoking him was a bad idea…

"_Shut. Up._" Goggles hissed, his eyes narrowing and now that glare was at me full force. If I wasn't such a brainless puppy (something Angeal loved to point out), I would've backed down, knowing I'd gone too far. But I was a brainless puppy, so backing down is something I just don't do.

"Don't take it out on me. I was just helping your little friend!" Bad choice, bad! "It's not my fault you can't!"

Reno's eyes grew twice in size, making him look kind of like a red headed bug. "I've lost everything, everything except for Roxas. I needed some time to think things through." He sounded older, weary. It scared me. A second ago, he was a fiery seven year old, and now he's acting so much older. But I guess he was forced to grow up. At least a little. "But don't you _ever_ say that I can't help him. Because I have to. F-For Axel…"

Goggles trailed off, stumbling on his words, tears starting to form in his eyes. Axel? Who was Axel? But maybe now wasn't the time to ask. Either way, Reno had started to compose himself. He gave me a half hearted glare, before sitting down on an empty bed on the other side of Roxas.

"I'm sorry." The words were out of my mouth before I could even register what I was saying. Apologising to Goggles wasn't something I planned on doing, especially since Reno's such a hot head. Heh, hot head…

"S'not your fault…" Reno sounded tired, but could you expect any less from someone who's been through so much?

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_It's all around  
Getting stronger, coming closer  
Into my world_

_I can feel  
That it's time for me to face it  
Can I take it?_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jerking awake, the first thing I realised was that I had fallen asleep in a chair. A very uncomfortable chair.

Moving my very sore bones, I opened my eyes to find two pairs of blue eyes staring at me.

"Wha?"I tried forming a coherent sentence, but my sleep muddled brain was only just functioning. I wasn't a morning person.

"You're still here." Reno stated, giving me a smirk, as if that was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Yeah… Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, it's just…" Reno stumbled to explain. Roxas just stared. It was creepy. Looking closer, I realised something… He looked familiar…

"Chocobo!" The memory's clicked into placed and I knew that I was staring into the eyes of a mini replica of my father.

"Chocobo?" Goggles raised an eyebrow, arrogant personality back in place. Course, Reno hadn't heard the story, so he wouldn't understand.

"What do you mean?" Roxas/Mini-Chocobo asked, the first thing he'd said all morning.

"You, my friend, are a miniature version of Chocobo. The similarity is scary… And Reno here looks kind of like Red, but… different. There's something off, something not Red-ish about you…" I'd seen Red in photos. There was one picture which I had with me at all times, a picture of Chocobo when he was thirteen. He and Red were sitting on a sideways tree during a sunset.

At the time of the picture, Red was sixteen. His spiky hair was styled into a Mohawk, with a few strands falling over his face. He had two earrings in his right ear and two tattoos on either side of his face, right beside his eyes. Red was always kind of gothic, and this time was no different. He was wearing gold bangles, something he was never seen without, and a black singlet with skinny jeans. This was probably the least dressed up I'd ever seen him, since he usually had chains and feathers hanging from just about everywhere. His golden eyes sparkled in the sunset.

Chocobo, on the other hand, only had board shorts on, and his hair was less spiky than normal, which told me he'd been swimming. He too, was looking at the sunset, and his incandescent blue eyes (which I'd inherited) seemed even brighter.

This photo was one I never went somewhere without. Not since Dad died. It was the happiest I'd seen him, even if it was just a photo.

When I'd asked where he was, he told me of the Destiny Islands, a place where the legendary Paopu Fruit grew. Apparently, if two people shared one, their destinies were intertwined forever. Chocobo had wanted to give one to Red the entire time, but couldn't work up the courage.

I pulled the picture out of my pocket and showed Reno and Roxas. Reno's widened, also noticing the similarity. But, I thought something was wrong when his eyes started to water.

"What's wrong?"

"The… The guy with the Mohawk looks like a replica of Axel…"

"Who's Axel?" At just the mentioning of his name, both boys looked away. Roxas looked like he was going to cry again, and I didn't have any other stories I could tell!

"My brother." That explains how Reno looks so much like Red, but there's something _not Red_ about him.

"Is… Is he?" I really didn't want to say it… Please get what I'm talking about!

"He died in the bombing. At least, they couldn't find him... But they couldn't find the body either, so he might have escaped… No, he _did_ escape. We'll see him again. I can promise you that!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Though this might just be the ending_  
_ Of the life I held so dear_  
_ but I won't run, there's no turning back from here_

_ Stand my ground, I won't give in_  
_ No more denying, I gotta face it_  
_ Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside_  
_ If I don't make it, someone else will_  
_ Stand My Ground  
_

* * *

**A/N: I don't like how the middle/end of this chapter turned out. Oh, and Red isn't an OC. And Red isn't really his name. Red is actually Red XIII/Nanaki humanized, because I couldn't think of anyone else to have Cloud/Chocobo fall in love with, and I needed someone I wouldn't have to use later. And since most of the pairings that involve Cloud have someone pop up sooner or later, I decided that someone I had absolutely no plans for would work ^^**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it! Oh, and just because I'm switching up the POV, that doesn't mean Axel and Roxas aren't going to be the main characters. I just like lots of minor characters. And Zack and Reno. They're my two favourite FF characters XD**

**Also, they're all kind of OOC, but they've been through a lot, okay? And there are some weird character placements here...**

**I give out cyber hugs and cookies to reviewers!  
~Vithian**


	5. Twelve Years: Roxas

**A/N: Don't ask me why, but this one seems longer than my other chapters...  
Okay, this is the first real chapter! It was going to be from someone over at Twaza's perspective, but this one wouldn't leave me alone. Quite happy with it, even if it is mainly just a setup.**

**DiZclaimer: I hate these things, it's just pouring salt on my wounds!  
**

* * *

_Standing on top of the edge it feels like it's going down  
Everything stays in my mind feeling in a daze on the ground  
Feels like it's gonna give life's to hard to live anymore  
I think I've had enough things too tough  
I'm out the door_  
**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"And it's another _fine_ day here in Hollow Bastian, the weather here is just _terrific!_" The annoying, nasally voice emitting from my radio alarm continued to elongate certain words, motivating me to get up, even if it was just to turn my alarm off.

So, I dragged myself from under the nice, safe covers of my bed and pushed (more like slammed) the 'Off' button on my alarm. Immediately, the voice stopped, and I felt the ringing in my ears cease. With a dazed smile, I began shuffling out to the kitchen.

However, the smell wafting out of the kitchen made me want to crawl back into bed all the more.

Reno was good at lots of things.

Cooking was not one of them.

Still, he pushed forward, making meal after disastrous meal. I begged him to give it up, to let me cook. I was sixteen, I was capable of making my own food. Besides, cooking was something I could do to help make up for all the things Reno's done for me.

"GOD DAMNIT! WHY WON'T YOU TASTE LIKE WAFFLES?" My whole day suddenly seemed brighter. Reno's rants at the appliances were always amusing, but it was the rants at the actual food that provided the most entertainment.

Poking my head in, I saw Reno had his back to me and was currently engaged in a war with the toaster. It looked like he was trying to pull something out of it. Still half asleep, the thought of helping didn't even occur to me.

Without warning, the red head fell back, a burnt waffle in his left hand. He slid across the tiled floor to my feet, where I gave him a questioning look.

"Hey Roxas! I got breakfast all ready for you!" Reno smiled, holding up the black waffle. I stepped over him, and decided to make some real food. "No hello?"

I gave him a sharp look, one which I hoped told him, once again, that I am not a morning person. "Time, Reno." I went back to looking through the fridge, trying to find something edible.

"Huh?" His head whipped around, his ponytail almost hitting me in the face. "SHIT! God, can't be late another time! See ya, Roxas!" And with that, Reno grabbed his messenger bag and sprinted out the door, where, for a brief second, I could see a befuddled looking Yazoo, before he was gone, Reno dragging him along, eating a vary black waffle.

"Looks like he was late too…" Yazoo was almost always on time, but occasionally, he overworked himself and whenever he did that, not even a volcano erupting right outside his door would wake him.

Twelve years ago, I woke up from a comatose state to find my best friend missing, presumed dead, my family had all been killed, and my best friend's brother at the foot of my hospital bed. In the bed next to us, was Yazoo, who was also comatose. He woke up several weeks after I did, and Reno and the silver haired boy had immediately bonded, despite their vastly different personalities.

Eleven years and six months ago, I was released from hospital. All those whose family had died and were unable to live by themselves were moved to the Hollow Bastian Training Centre, where the empty rooms were converted into bedrooms. Reno had immediately signed up for all sorts of training programs, hoping he could get a job sometime in the future and provide for me. I told him he didn't have to, but he didn't listen. Besides, it was his dream to be a Turk, and this was his chance.

Ten years ago I enrolled at the school and dedicated myself to learning all I could about fighting, so as to help those that saved my life. I also ran into Zack again, who I hadn't seen since I had been released from the hospital. He had signed up for SOLDIER, following his older brother's footsteps.

Seven years and three months ago, Reno ran into Yazoo at the centre. His father was still alive, as well as his younger brother, so his father bought an apartment to live in. The two became fast friends.

Four years ago, Reno was accepted for the Turks as a full time member. He had been training his entire life, and was now a fully fledged Turk. He also had a small depository of money, something he'd been saving up for since he first started getting a paycheck.

One year ago, Reno turned eighteen and used the money he'd been saving to buy an apartment. We both moved into it, and have been living there since. We get by, and it's close to the training centre. I'm still in school, but I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm a decent fighter, so my best option is to go into SOLDIER or something. Whatever, it doesn't really matter.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_All in all it's just another day now  
You're falling down  
What you gonna do  
Standing on top of the world tonight  
No one's looking back at you_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Whilst eating a waffle (not a burnt one), I started packing my messenger bag, putting in all the necessary books in, before writing a note saying we needed more food. I knew Reno would never go and voluntarily get more food, not if there was eight month old milk still in the fridge, but it would remind me to go buy some groceries. Although, I must admit, it is hilarious to watch Reno take a gulp of what used to be milk every morning, before remembering that, not only did he do that yesterday, but he also couldn't keep it down.

Locking the front door of the apartment, I started down the stairs. Our apartment was in a large complex, with us being on the eighth floor, flat number 92. It was a small, two bedroom place, but it was the best we could afford and it was close to the training centre, where Reno worked and I went to school.

Thinking about Reno, my thoughts drifted to Yazoo. He was a year younger than Reno, and was just finishing school. In another month, he would be choosing what career he wants to follow. Right now, he's thinking about SOLDIER, but Reno's determined for him to be a Turk.

Yazoo's father, Sephiroth, happens to be a first class SOLDIER, who was taking a vacation in Twilight Town when the bomb's hit. He and his wife, Jenova, and four sons, Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo and Riku were there to see the many sights Twilight Town had to behold. At that time, Yazoo was six. When news of the bomb first reached Twilight Town, Sephiroth acted fast, he got everyone into the bathroom of the hotel they were staying at. Unfortunately, his quick thinking only saved Riku, Yazoo and himself.

Yazoo was in the hospital for six weeks, a simple head injury. Sephiroth had almost broken his spine, but he had miraculously recovered. Riku escaped with a few scratches. Sephiroth couldn't stand to go back to Hollow Bastian though, so he, Yazoo and Riku had moved to Midgar, where they lived for five years. However, Yazoo never forgot the red head that watched him while he thought he was asleep. So, after five years, he convinced his father to let them move back to Hollow Bastian.

Thinking about those two only made me think of my friends. Or, lack there of. See, I think a part of me died in that bombing. I haven't been able to make any friends. When I was eight, I met Hayner, Pence and Olette. We were friends, sure, but they had grown up together in Hollow Bastian. I was never as close to them as they were to each other. I tried for two years to get close to them, but I gave up. They just didn't understand.

Looking up, I saw the familiar shape of the Training Centre. It was swarmed with people of all ages, mostly teenagers at the moment. The work day for the adults had already begun, and the younger children were mostly inside.

"Ahh, Roxas. Good to see you again." I turned around, and saw a tall brunette looking at me with a bored expression. Across his nose, he had a scar, and he was wearing his signature leather jacket.

"Hi Leon." I replied, looking up. Damnit! When did everyone get so tall? If there is one thing I like about Leon though, it's that neither of us are talkers. So we just walk in silence, saying our goodbyes when we reach the door. I turn down the left corridor and head to my first class, History. One my most hated classes.

It wasn't that I was bad at history. I aced all my classes, considering I had no social life. But History brought up bad memories. Stuff I had locked away in a chest and hoped to never think of again. Unfortunately, my History teacher, one Genesis Rhapsodos, insisted on teaching his students about the Twilight Bombing this year. He said we needed to know about ways it could have been avoided, and how, if it happened now, we could save 60% more people.

That only made me feel terrible. I was the only one in my class who was in the Twilight Bombing, and since I kept to myself, no one really knew. So I simply cried on the inside, mourning all those who died, all those who have no one to mourn them.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Stand tall  
It's going on  
It's going on  
It's gonna be just fine  
You're holding on  
Holding on today_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Roooooooooooxas!" I let out a deep breath of air, trying to calm myself. Of course, this only made Zack try harder. He started to poke my left arm, whilst my right took a book off the shelf.

At the moment, I was in the library, the last place I thought I would find Zack. Because Zack doesn't read. Ever.

But apparently, today he had to do research for an upcoming mission.

Zack was nineteen now, and had chosen to join SOLDIER. He was one of the few people who could get a smile from me, the others being Reno and, occasionally, Yazoo. However, I didn't see him as much as I'd like to, because not only did his job keep him busy, but Reno had developed some strange, one sided rivalry with him. Meh. Reno's strange.

So now, here I was, a nineteen year old man poking my arm and trying to get a reaction out of me. Well, I didn't cave easy! At least, I didn't think I did.

I turned to get hit with a pouty face. Rasing my eyebrow, I silently asked _"Is that all you got?"_ Mistake. He added puppy eyes, got down onto his knees and held his hands in front of him, as if he was praying. I felt my eye twitch and my resolve crumble.

"Hi Zack…" I mumbled, a smile tugging at the edge of my lips. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of winning! So I fought it down, something I didn't particularly want to do. I never smiled these days.

"Ah! I see a smile!" Zack said in a sing song voice and poked me in the cheek. I couldn't keep it in anymore. Not only did I give him a smile, I gave him a laugh. A real laugh. It sill sounded kind of hollow, but it wasn't forced. When I was younger, I never understood why I couldn't be happy when I was with Hayner, Pence and Olette. So I forced smiles, forced myself to laugh, forced myself to seem happy.

But I was always hollow inside.

"Uhhh… Roxas? Hellooooooo?" I blinked, Zack drawing me back to the present. "You okay? You kinda zoned out there."

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine." I trusted Zack, although Reno always advised me against it. The older red head just didn't like Zack. I had no idea why not. Zack had not grown up in Twilight Town, but his father passed away trying to defend it. And although I'm sure others in Hollow Bastian have suffered, never once did Zack feel pity for me. He felt a need to protect me, to never let anything bad happen to me again.

When I was younger, six I think, I met Sora. He was the best, at everything. He got great grades, had heaps of friends, everyone loved him. But that wasn't enough for Sora, oh no. The first day I met him, he seemed so nice. He offered me his lunch, saying he wanted to be friends. That almost brought a smile to my face. Someone _wanted_ to be my friend!

That all changed the next day. I woke up in the small room I shared with Reno. It used to be a soundproof music room, and wasn't really big enough for two people to live in, but Reno and I managed.

Anyway, I woke up feeling great. I almost skipped to class, but I didn't, because I still felt kind of hollow inside. When I got inside the classroom, Sora waved me over and introduced me to his two best friends, Riku and Kairi. They were nice, always helping me. Riku was a year older, so I didn't see him much, and Kairi wasn't in any of my classes, which meant it was usually just me and Sora.

I… I told him a lot. Not everything, but a lot. But I only regret one thing that I let slip.

I told him about Axel.

I told him about the bombing, about the pain, about everything. He told me he was sorry it happened. It seemed like he understood.

That changed at the end of the week. I stopped at the end of the corridor to tie my shoelace, right by the door. The door was opened just a crack, and through it, I could see Sora sitting on a desk in the middle of the room, Riku to his left and Kairi to his right, and about twenty or so students surrounding him.

A chorus of voices echoed around the room, and it took a while for me to understand them. They were all yelling: "Keep going, Sora!" or "Tell us more, Sora!"

I reached for the door, about to ask what they were talking about, when I stopped, listening to what they were actually talking about.

"Okay, so you all know it started as a dare, right?" The crowd bobbed their heads at Sora's words. Confused, I decided to let my presence remain a secret. "Right, well, I thought it would take a while for him to trust me, but by the second day, he's pouring his heart out! Especially about some guy named Axel."

_Me._

I was the dare. I stopped listening, tuning out Sora's high pitched voice and the many snickers as he listed all the things I'd told the other six year old, things he'd promised to never tell.

I ran. Tears left wet streaks on my cheeks, and I'm sure they must have heard me, but no one ran after me. If anything, they laughed harder. The laughter followed me as I ran. I couldn't escape.

Before I knew it, I found myself in a part of the Training Centre I was unfamiliar with. No one paid attention to the young boy, crying, lost and alone. So I kept running, weaving through the feet of those so much older than me.

I must have found a closet or something to hide in, because next thing I know, that's where I am, crying my little heart out.

Zack found me there later. He was exploring the Training Centre when he saw me running. He followed me, but lost sight of me when I took a sharp turn. He then spent the next two hours searching for me. So I spent the next ten minutes telling him everything.

He really helped me, and he taught me that I can't trust anyone except those who trust me back. And there's very few of those.

Zack proved that he cared for me when he went and beat the crap out of Sora for what he did.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Things don't stop and the others announced they're moving on  
Salt & tears in the minds in the mouths of a bad decision  
Too late for another mistake it's bringing me down  
With all your faults it isn't your fault  
What's going on_

* * *

**A/N: The song is All in All by Lifehouse, who are a truly awesome band!**

**The end didn't flow as nicely as I wanted it too... And for some reason, it always turns out like I'm trying to make it a humour fic... Does anyone else ever misspell make like amke? I've done it so many times today...**

**Needs her caffeine fix,  
~Vithian  
**


	6. Ruins and Trees: Axel

**A/N: It seems kind of short... But I really wanted to get it out on Akuroku day... So Happy Akuroku Day 2010!  
I would, once again, like to thank The Wandering Apocalypse, who reminded me that Akuroku Day was in three days, otherwise I would've forgotten about it. Which I wasn't happy about. Not at all.**

This chapter also decided to fight me all. The. Way. Not only did i find it insanely hard to write, my computer died and _deleted it!_ GFBhejsGFVHY#FRTIY652r7!1!

Okay, I have had my breakdown! On with the story!

**I also, now, have a goal for this story!  
It is either a) Hit 50,000 words or b) Get 50 reviews.  
Let us hope I achieve one of them.**

**DiZclaimer: Insert random DiZclaimer here, I'm too lazy to think of one.**_  


* * *

In this world you tried,  
Not leaving me alone behind.  
There's no other way,  
I pray to the gods let him stay.  
The memories ease the pain inside,  
And now I know why.  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Twelve years.

Twelve God damned fucking years.

That's not right. It can't be right. I would've found them; I would've found all of them. But I didn't, I haven't, and with every year that passes, the chance that I'll happen across them decreases. Well, according to Demyx, and Xigbar, and Luxord… and Marluxia, Zexion, and everyone else in Organization XIII, the chance that I'd see any of them again died the second Xaldin came back and reported that any survivors had already been taken by Radiant Garden. Well, Hollow Bastian now. Apparently, 'Radiant Garden' holds bad memories. Bastards.

Anyway, once a survivor has been taken by Hollow Bastian, they'll either a) live out their life happily and free of all knowledge that their loved ones were alive, just on another side of the war, or b) they die in battle. Simple, right?

It wouldn't matter what happened, the chances of any one I cared for being alive to start with, also choosing to fight after what happened, and happening to be in the same place that I was were… almost nothing. But I held onto that almost, it was the only thing I had to keep me going.

So I fought for those that took everything from me. Oh, the irony. It was risky for Twaza to trust refugees, but I guess they just assumed that those with nothing left would fight the hardest, since they had nothing to lose. And of course, refugees had nowhere to run too, their only home destroyed. It was ingeniously genius.

Apparently, I was the 'star' of Organization XIII, my skills quite well known. Mainly, I did assassination missions, but I also did some recon occasionally. It was harder for me to do recon, because my, uh, 'bright' appearance was well known, so I generally stayed with the assassination missions.

With a sigh, I tried to stop the constant stream of thoughts running through my head. It was hard, considering that today was the day that bomb had been dropped, and I was currently sitting on the ruins of my old house. I really didn't want to be here, every year I told myself that I wouldn't go, that I wouldn't continue this stupid ritual. But every year, I still went. Every year, I threatened my position in Organization XIII just to come and sit here, just to ponder all that could've been.

They stopped trying to force me not to go after the third year. I almost burned the entire complex down, and they knew by then that it was just for a day. So they let me go, albeit grudgingly. Xemnas still threatened to have me replaced, but I didn't really take him seriously. He knew I was good, and he knew that I knew that he knew that I was good, so there wasn't much to worry about.

But really, it was killing me to keep coming back, to keep reliving all those happy memories. One in particular kept standing out…

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_All of my memories keep you near.  
In silent moments,  
Imagining you here.  
All of my memories keep you near,  
In silent whispers, silent tears  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**  
_"Come on, Roxas!" I grabbed the three year olds hand and dragged him down the path, excited about my discovery, as I knew Roxas would be._

_"Ax!" The blond called out as I pulled on his wrist. He wasn't too good with words, but that wasn't because he didn't know how to talk. He just didn't like to. So hearing my name being said, I knew I needed to let go. Roxas would follow, so I slowed my pace to walk beside him. I couldn't help but almost jump with excitement._

_Walking was torture. I __really__ wanted to tell my blond friend, but that would spoil the surprise, so I contented myself to bouncing around wildly, earning a few curious glances, but no one said anything. Most people were used to my antics by now, and those that weren't quickly adjusted, or they'd find another dead skunk in their mailbox. Or something along those lines. I don't repeat pranks._

_After what seemed like eternity walking at a snail's pace, I tapped Roxas' shoulder, and lead him through the bush on the side of the pathway. Roxas followed without question, something I loved about him. He had almost complete trust in me, though he did question my motives sometimes._

_I found it somewhat difficult to navigate through the bush, my hair and clothes getting caught on all sorts of things. Looking back at Roxas, I discovered he was having none of the trouble I was. Damn short people._

_Finally, after what felt like having every hair on my head individually ripped out, the bush ended. I stepped out into a clearing, a small patch of grass away from the town. In the centre was a willow tree, which seemed to stretch up to the sky._

_"That! Isn't it great?" I was so excited, especially when I saw Roxas return the look. Knowing he approved made me feel all fuzzy. "Let's climb it! Race you there!" Knowing I could run faster, I slowed down and let Roxas pass me, and once he was halfway there, I set off at a sprint. I easily crossed the ground between us, but by the time I caught up to him, he was already there. I hated losing, but when Roxas won, he beamed, his blue eyes lighting up. I wanted that look on his face all the time, so losing was acceptable in these circumstances._

_After half an hour, we were both up a considerable distance, and were talking about all sorts of things. Well, I was talking, and Roxas was throwing in the occasional word. But I noticed it getting dark, and as much as I never wanted this day to end, I also didn't want to get Roxas in trouble for being late. So I told him we should go, and I started climbing._

_I reached the ground quickly, my long limbs giving me an advantage when it came to tree climbing. Roxas was still halfway up, but he was following quickly, refusing to be left behind._

_That was where it all went wrong. Roxas stepped on a weak branch, which snapped underneath his weight. He fell to the ground, hitting several branches on the way down. I rushed to his side the second his small body hit the ground, going limp._

_He was breathing, I could tell by the rise and fall of his chest. But I knew nothing else about what to do in these situations, so naturally, I panicked. I grabbed him, told him to wake up, shook him, but nothing worked. Tears started to well in my eyes when I saw the wound on his hip, blood coming out in a small river._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I kept mumbling it, over and over, not really thinking about anything but the guilt. "I promise, I'll never let you get hurt, never leave you behind, never forget about you, ever…"_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_Made me promise I'd try,  
To find my way back in this life.  
Hope there is a way,  
To give me a sign you're okay.  
Reminds me again it's worth it all,  
So I can go home  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

It was a silly little promise I made when I was five, but I kept true to my word. For around a year. Then I left, I walked away, he could've been right beside me when I first woke up, but I just walked away.

I was here now, at the very tree where I made the promise. Except the tree was nothing but a skeleton, the grass was dead, and there was wreckage everywhere. But other than that, it was just like it was twelve years ago.

On that day, Reno had found us, me still cradling Roxas. He stopped the blood flow using my jacket, and carried Roxas all the way home. I was always grateful.

Roxas had to have stitches in his side, but other than that, he was fine. The scar is barely noticeable, and he never once blamed me. I was really grateful for that, it helped stop the guilt. A little.

"Hey!" I quickly turned to the sound of the voice, gripping my chakrams tighter. There was someone here? No one ever comes to the ruins anymore but me! Wow, I sounded like a jealous bitch… "You're part of Organization XIII!" No time to ponder that, someone wants some attention.

The owner of the voice was a short brunette with spiky brown hair. He was short, probably only coming just past my chest. He looked unthreatening in every way, and the giant key he was holding didn't really help. But that wasn't what had me startled for a moment.

It was his eyes. They were the same blue as Roxas', the similarity almost scary. They held the same innocence, the same naivety. But there was one major difference…

They weren't Roxas' eyes.

That brought me back to the present, including Shortstuff in front of me.

"No shit, Sherlock." I rolled my eyes and let my sarcastic side take over. I was well known to have a heartless, sarcastic personality, so I had a reputation to keep. Shortstuff just started advancing towards me, so I raised a chakram and held it out threateningly. I really didn't feel like fighting, but if a kid with a giant key feels like taking a shot at me, I wasn't going to back down. Imagine the outrage that Axel had backed down from a kid with a freakin key!

"What do you want here?" Another step closer, key held tighter.

"I'm on vacation." Hmm… Shortstuff didn't like that. No way, no how. So he leapt forward, key in the air. I raised a chakram and blocked it easily, before using the other to whack him off. "Look, kid, scram, all right? I'm waaaaaaay outta your league."With that, I turned and walked off, Shortstuff still on the ground.

_'Probably should've taken him out… Meh.' _

And, before I could react, I felt something long and metal hit me on the back of the head. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, just hard enough for my brain to try and escape out of my nose.

I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, before slowly turning and facing the brunette, my eyes cold. I looked him up and down, and he was either extremely oblivious, or braver than I thought.

"You are _not_ out of my league!" Huh, guess it's the former. If he hasn't realised who I am by now, he never will.

"Let me tell you something kid. How many people have you killed? One? Two? You probably haven't killed anyone, right?" Kid's eyes narrowed and he took a more offensive stance. I leaned down, my green eyes now in line with his blue ones. "I've been killing since I was seven. Want to try me?" A smirk came to my lips unbidden, it was almost second nature now, and seeing the fear in this kid's eyes made me happy. Why? Cause he had tried to steal Roxas' eyes.

If the kid had any smarts, he'd leave now. But, of course, he didn't so he took a swing at me. I was expecting it this time, so I quickly ducked and countered with my left chakram. He saw it coming, and tried to raise his key to defend it. However, he was a second late and just softened the blow. He still went flying, and I threw my right chakram after him. It skinned the top of his head, before swinging back to my outstretched arm.

"Still feeling so confidant?" Shortstuff must have just gotten out of the training course; he was that unused to fighting. I could tell he had quite a bit of talent, but his fighting style was rigid and awkward, he was following those tips that the instructors at the training centre told him. That was something you can't do if you want to survive. Everyone has a different style when fighting, and you have to follow your instincts, not think about every move in advance.

"I won't let you beat me!" Once again, kiddo got up and tried to take a swing at me. I easily side stepped, got behind him, and pushed him up against the half dead tree to my right. I held him there, one chakram pinning him to the wall, the other twirling in my hand.

"Now, I don't want to kill you. You remind me of someone I used to know. So I want you to leave without a fuss, okay?" My answer was having fearful eyes gaze at me. He was obviously trying to hide it, trying to put on a brave face, but his eyes showed all. So I let him go.

He just stared at me for a second, before turning and running, still holding his key. I watched him go, trying to think of whether I was satisfied or not. I hated taking lives, even at the best of times, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach, like letting him go would lead to something big.

But I couldn't dwell on that now. The sun was setting and I had to get back or Saix would have me cleaning the lake. Why the hell would the lake need to be clean?

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_All of my memories keep you near.  
In silent moments,  
Imagining you here.  
All of my memories keep you near.  
In silent whispers, silent tears  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  


* * *

**

Sora walked dejectedly down the halls of the Training Centre, thinking over the things that had happened. That damn red head had threatened his first mission!

It was supposed to be a simple exploration, try and find anything of interest. Perfect for a first mission. What he hadn't expected was to find an Organization XIII member sitting on a pile of rubble.

So, being the big brave kid on his first mission, he just _had _to challenge him to a fight. And of course, he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter with French fry potatoes.

The guy was familiar. There was just something about him that struck him as a person he had seen before. But The World That Never Was had no interaction with Hollow Bastian, so where would Sora have come into contact with him? He thought that the red head was someone who would stand out in his memory, but he was wrong.

Because if he'd have looked down the corridor into the Turks section of the Training Centre, he'd have had his answer.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_Together in all these memories,_  
_ I see your smile._  
_ All of the memories I hold dear._  
_ Darling you know I'll love you,_  
_ Til the end of time_

* * *

**A/N: The song is Memories by Within Temptation. Yes, I am probably their biggest fan. But they are complete and total awesomesauce (damnit! I really need to stop saying that!)  
And yes, Axel kind of talks to himself.**

**I'm really sorry if he's kind of out of character!  
The last verse I put in really seems to fit Axel, and Akuroku Day! XD  
Also, I'm _almost _completely certain of all the pairings. I'm not going to say, but I'm not sure about one person... I won't say though, unless I really need help. I'll just see what fits in well with the story!**

**I have an alter ego...  
~Vithian  
**


	7. Sasha and the Ambush: Demyx

**A/N: *cries* My headphones completely died today. For no good reason! One minute they were working, the next they weren't. Which means I am musicless until I get some more (no, I will not listen to music without them! People don't seem to like my style of music)! Which could take forever because I'm completely swamped! *throws expensive vase* I'm sad…**

**Wow. The support for this fic is really inspiring! So, I decided to take the time to thank each and every one of you in this author's note. So, if you just want to get to the fic, skip over this bit.**

**The Wandering Apocalypse (technically, this is not a dedication!), ****Hadrianus-dark1****, Khuronji, Timeless Moment, Masaki-Hanabusa  
Thank you to all of you! Your reviews keep me going, and I love reading through them! They never fail to bring a smile to my face!**

**To Masaki-Hanabusa: Awesomesauce, with 5% less preservatives than the next leading brand! I'm honoured that awesomesuauce is such a compliment! And I remember where I saw your name before! You wrote **_**Red and Silver**_**! And yes, I could've just written you a reply, but you took the time to review three of my fics, so this chapter is for you!**

**Anyway, I think we may actually have some plot in this chapter… *makes scary ghost noises* I know, scary right?**

**DiZclaimer: The judge's decision is final. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or Demyx Time. If you haven't watched, go and watch it right now!  


* * *

**

_I try to make it through my life, in my way, there's you  
I try to make it through these lies, and that's all I do  
Just don't deny it,  
Don't try to fight this ,and deal with it  
And that's just part of it  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Damn Saix. Why the hell was he picking on me?

I mean, sure, I don't work the hardest, and being paired with Axel is a _lot_ better than being paired with someone like Vexen, but the guy makes me _do_ stuff!

Apparently, sleeping on the job isn't 'professional' and that I should 'try', but that's easy for him to say, he's a freaking prodigy! I mean, is it that much to ask to have a minute or two to myself? But _nooooooo_, I have to _work_, I have to walk through the freaking forest just because Axel can be a touch paranoid about being discovered too early.

So, that is why I am currently dragging Sasha, my beautiful sitar, down the small dirt track through the many trees. Axel is ahead, out of sight at the moment. He's scouting ahead, as I'll just jeopardize the mission. And while he's not looking, I'll just go find a place to lie down… With an evil snicker, I start a scouting mission of my own.

After much searching, I found a nice tree, one with thick branches that blocked out all of the sun. Putting Sasha down, I sat in between the wide roots, and closed my eyes, preparing myself for a nice, long…

"Damn it, Demyx!" Crap, Axel came back quicker than I thought he would. I didn't even get five minutes of well deserved rest!

"Uh, hey Axel! I wasn't sleeping, I was… Blending into the background in case the enemy was nearby!" I gave a self satisfied smile, happy with my reasoning skills. Until Axel just gave me that glare he had, the one that seems to rip you apart. My smile started to become more forced and pleading, hoping he won't skin me alive. He's well known for his short temper and explosive anger.

The red head sighed and turned around, uttering a short "Whatever…" before motioning for me to follow. Knowing I had already pushed my luck, I decided that following seemed like a good idea. I picked Sasha up, and started sneaking, much quieter now. Hey, I have to have some skills, I'm still alive aren't I?

The mission was a simple 'Gather Intel' mission. Y'see, the kid Axel let go? He was more trouble than he seemed. He reported that little incident, and the higher ups saw it as an act of aggression.

The World That Never Was and Hollow Bastian had an odd sort of treaty. Whilst Twaza's forces weren't centred in the main city (they were scattered all around the area belonging to The World That Never Was) Hollow Bastian's were. And around 13 years ago, Twaza decided that if they kept trying to destroy small sections of their army, they would just keep growing back, just like the Hydra.

Hollow Bastian had a much larger population than The World That Never Was, which meant recruits were harder to come by for Twaza. So they decided to bomb Hollow Bastian.

That didn't go well. There was a lot of damage, but the main lives lost were civilian. So the two nations agreed to not bomb the other nation, as the resulting civilian life loss would outweigh the loss of army life. It was agreed that those willing to give their lives to the war did so by their own free will, but civilian's had a choice. They chose not to participate, so their deaths were unnecessary.

Twaza discovered a way around this. The treaty covered Radiant Garden, but it didn't cover Twilight Town. And those from Twilight Town made up almost 20% of the Radiant Garden Army. It would deal a blow that they wouldn't recover from.

The plan backfired. Enough people survived to swell the numbers of Radiant Gardens Army, and it pushed Twaza's forces back. It was somewhat of a stalemate for a while.

But this kid reported 'Organization Activity' in the ruins of Twilight Town, so they sent as many people as they could spare to the ruins, and now, they were planning something. It was my job to discover what.

For some reason, I seem to blend in. I can walk around almost anywhere without people suspecting me. They find it easy to talk to me, with my open smile and eyes that seem to hide nothing. But that's all it is. A ruse, set to deceive people. I use it almost all the time, in order to perfect it. A single mistake can get me killed.

Axel is here to make sure I don't get killed, seeing as I can't really make sure of that myself. So whilst I go and try and find out information, Axel will sit in the trees and wait for me to return. We'll have radio contact, that way he'll know if there is any trouble and can come and save me. Also, if it's apparent that I can't return, I'm to relay the info to him and sacrifice myself. That won't happen. If there is one word to describe me, it's cowardly, although I prefer 'Interested in Self Preservation'.

Finally, we arrived at our destination. Well, Axel's destination. I've got to keep going.

I slipped my Organization XIII coat off, revealing clothes that we'd stolen from a small army base on the outskirts of the Hollow Bastian district. Nothing flashy, since all that does is get people's attention. And really, what kind of spy would I be if I held everyone's attention? That's why I always wear a hat or helmet, as my faux Mohawk/mullet stands out in a crowd.

I can go to all sorts of lengths with my costume, from just a change of clothes to coloured contact lenses, fake scars and even, in extreme circumstances, make up. Just never tell Marluxia that you need to borrow his make up for your next mission, because he and Larxene can do horrible, horrible things with some simple colours.

The only thing I refuse to use is hair dye. It makes your hair thin and gives you early greys. Axel thinks I'm overprotective of my hair, but I caught him trying to use a curling iron he'd stolen once! I must've shocked him, because he paused and accidentally burnt a section of his hair. It was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen!

Anyway, now I'm dressed in the typical attire of a Shinra Infantryman; dark blue pants and shirt, silver knee pads and bronze chest armor, and a helmet over my head. It was the perfect disguise. No one would notice an extra infantryman wandering around. The only drawback was that infantryman weren't usually told what exactly was happening. They weren't given the whole story. But, I'd snuck into places with conditions worse than this, I'll find a way to get the information I want.

I shifted the sniper rifle on my shoulder, tested the small hidden radio, then set off towards the camp. I sat down on the outskirts, behind some bushes. Waiting, I looked for any passing infantryman. Finally, after what seemed like _hours_, someone came pass and obstructed my bush from view for just a second. In that second, I had quickly gotten out and made my way half way over to the camp. No one gave me a second glance, just assuming me to be another infantryman. That was for the best.

I quickly made my way to the centre of the camp, and noted the location of the largest tent. I'd have to avoid that one. Most people assume that any secret plans would be kept with those important enough to stay in the largest tent. This, however, was not the case. Most likely, it would be kept with the advisor, in one of the slightly smaller tents next to it.

I walked along the many makeshift roadways, making sure to memorise the layout. I would start to memorize the routine of the main advisor tonight.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**  
_If you were dead or still alive  
I don't care, I don't care  
Just go and leave this all behind  
Cause I swear (I swear), I don't care_  
**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**  
"Well, that didn't really go to plan…" It had been three days, and I had just made my first move. Which completely failed. Woops…

See, every day just before sun set, the advisor would leave for an hour and go and discuss all sorts of things with the 1st Class SOLDIERs. And just before he left, Genesis, 1st Class SOLDIER, would come in and go over the plans with his advisor. Two nights out of three, the advisor left the plans on his desk. One night he took them with him, but it was a safe bet that that wasn't a regular occurrence.

The advisor, though he had a knack for remembering all sorts of things involving battle plans and strategies, couldn't remember the tiny things, like where he leaves his socks in the morning. It was an important piece of information, as having a forgetful personality left so many openings.

So, I was going to wait for the next available opportunity, and sneak into the tent. I wouldn't take the plans, that would let them know I had been there. No, it was best to either remember the information, or write it down. Most people assume that my memory is less than decent. I mean yes, I did use cue cards on a mission, but that was one time, I swear! And Xigbar dared me too! My memory is fine, and it's one of the only things that is keeping Saix from killing me. Lord knows he wants to. He's hated me ever since I 'accidently' destroyed half of Vexen's lab. And most of Xaldin's books. And killed Marluxia's flowers. And they all complained to Saix about me, and forced him to replace all the things I'd damaged. He put me on cooking duty, but no one would eat when they saw that I cooked it.

I trailed the advisor all day, staying out of sight. Eventually, as he does every day, he left to discuss things with the 1st Class SOLDIERs, and he left the plans on his desk.

Most people also assume that burglars wear black when sneaking into a place. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. All I did was, still in my infantryman's outfit, tell the guard that the ambassador had forgotten the plans, and needed me to take them to him. He let me in with a nod, knowing how forgetful the ambassador could be. That was a stroke of luck on my part.

Anyway, I simply went in there with my blank paper, before I started to read. I only got a couple of sentences in, when I heard a large scuffle outside. Like quite a lot moving feet.

"Come out with your hands up!" Hmm, that didn't sound too promising. I quickly pushed the little 'Distress' button on my radio, and I knew I had to stall for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

"Uh, I'm a little busy right now, can you come back later?" I smacked my forehead with my palm and muttered a short "Stupid…." Under my breath. Well, the damage was done. The worst that could happen would be that they storm the place before Axel gets here. But I still have my rifle, and I should be able to hold my own for a little while. Hopefully.

I took a gulp, and continued to read, my mind frantically trying to remember every detail. I could hear the murmurs outside. Obviously, they didn't expect my answer either.

"Come out with your hands up!"

"Haven't you said that before?" I let out an irritated growl, just loud enough for them to hear. Can't they just play along?

"If you don't come out now, we'll simply gas you!" Well, at least he changed his line. I could hear impatience in his voice, and smirked. If he was riled so easily, I'm sure I could have some fun.

"I'd _really_ prefer if you don't do that!" I yelled back. Mr Guy On The Megaphone let out a sigh, which was amplified. They would've simply gassed me already, but they don't want to piss Organization XIII off anymore than they already have done. That, and I could have valuable information. Not that I'd ever tell them anything. Only thirty three more seconds…

"We're going to give you ten seconds to surrender peacefully; otherwise we'll just blast you to extinction." Wait, what? "Ten… Nine… Eight…"

Crap. Crap. _Crap!_ Where the hell was Axel? In blind panic, I hit the 'Distress' button over and over. Unfortunately, Axel would probably just go slower because of it. Or throw the radio in a bush somewhere, then kill me after he's saved my life. Something to look forward to.

"Six… Five…"

Still sixteen more seconds… Please let me have counted wrong! I crossed my fingers and closed my eyes, praying to a god that I don't believe in, but this close to death, I was willing to try anything.

"Three… Two… O-What the hell is that?" The megaphone suddenly let out a horrible screeching noise, followed by the clang of metal. Yosh! Axel is here to save me!

Grabbing the rifle, I decided to (somewhat) help, knowing Saix would have my hide if I didn't. I rushed out, shooting a guy in the shoulder as I did, and tried to fight my way in next to Axel.

Instead, I got rushed by a bunch of other guys carrying rifles. And bullets _hurt, _damnit! The armour managed to protect my chest, but I struggled to walk, due to a large bullet hole halfway down my leg. My vision was starting to fade, black creeping in at the edges. I couldn't really see, so I just shot moving things. It seemed to work.

Two minutes, forty three seconds. That's how long we lasted. Someone shot Axel in the shoulder, and I heard a chakram fall to the ground. That wasn't good. The chakrams were supposed to be used together, and only having one good arm would slow the red head down.

I turned back around, to find no one paying me any attention. All of it was on Axel. He was the one they wanted, and at the moment, he was having trouble keeping the many infantrymen off him.

Suddenly, it all clicked. They knew I was here from the beginning. They also knew that Axel was accompanying me. They had to wait for me to strike first, and then they would capture Axel.

I was of no importance. I wasn't well known, nor was I privy to much information. So when Axel got hit, all the attention shifted from me, to him. Poor guy.

In the confusion, I slipped out, unnoticed, and escaped back into the forest, the adrenaline kicking in and numbing the wound on my leg. Just as I was leaving, Axel saw me. I gave him a little two finger salut, before disappearing.

There was no anger in his eyes. One of the main rules of Organization XIII was self preservation.

I took that rule to the extreme.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_I try to make you see my side  
Always trying to stay in line  
But your eyes see right through  
That's all they do  
_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Sasha!" I let out a, very manly mind you, squeal, and clutched the large sitar to my chest. If there was anything in the world that I still cared about, it was Sasha. When I first joined Organization XIII, I was given a choice of weapons, and then they modified it to suit our height, weight and all those pointless things. Problem was, I was equally horrible with each weapon. I mean, I could swing a bat, but I wasn't really great.

Then, Xigbar caught me playing an old guitar I'd found in the attic. I was embarrassed, I mean, I'd never played before that. I was only figuring out the chords. But Xigbar said I was really good, which surprised me. Then he asked me something I never considered.

"Can you swing it?" That came out of nowhere, but looking back, I can see his logic.

Sasha is reinforced with steel, and sounds like a nightingale. She's the only thing I have left.

I cradled her close to me as I worked my way through the dense forest area, not willing to find the path on the off chance that the enemy has already located it. It wouldn't surprise me, even though we've taken great lengths to keep it hidden. Because there is only one way they could've found out about our mission.

There is a rat amongst us.

Obviously, the rat didn't think they'd let me go alive, but Axel is worth so much more than some nameless enemy, who may or may not be part of Organization XIII. I really don't look the part, so they probably thought I was just a henchman who had no idea what he was actually doing. Weren't they wrong…

Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, the wound in my leg started to hurt again. I could feel the blood dripping out of it, so I stopped and tore a piece of my shirt off. I wrapped it around and tied it in a knot. It didn't really help, at all, but it was better than nothing. I was no medic, and I had no knowledge of how to stop a wound from bleeding, so I'll just have to hope the black on the edge of my vision doesn't start creeping any further in.

The forest was silent. Deafeningly silent. What kind of stupid phrase is 'Deafeningly silent' anyway? How can something deafen you if it's silent… Great, I've only been in the forest ten minutes and already I'm talking to myself.

God, I wish Axel was here. At least he could hold up a conversation. Sometimes. But at least he didn't die in vain. I got most of the information needed, and despite my injuries, I think I'll make it back. I've only got to get out of the forest, there I can contact help.

I haven't heard any screams of torture yet, which means they haven't killed the red head yet. That isn't a good thing. He'll just suffer the longer he's alive. Hopefully they don't take him prisoner, because they won't kill him, and we won't get him back, because trying to sneak into a city is hard work, and we're all expendable in this war.

It sounds kind of like I'm heartless. I'm not, really, I'm just used to death. When I first joined Twaza, I made friends with some of the Dusks. They all died over the course of a month. But I kept trying, because those who stayed alive, those in Organization XIII, didn't make friends, because they always ended up dead. I learnt that lesson the hard way.

So leaving Axel behind wasn't hard. He died for a good cause, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

And my running away? That wasn't cowardice. It was self preservation.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_I'm getting buried in this place  
I got no room, you're in my face  
Don't say anything just go away  


* * *

_**  
A/N: The song is I Don't Care by Apocalyptica. Yes, it's not a Within Temptation song, amazing, right?**

**I love Demyx. He's my all time favourite! And I loved writing in his POV, so I'll probably end up updating from his POV even if he has nothing to do with the story.**

**Okay, I don't want anyone saying that Demyx isn't heartless or that he wouldn't leave Axel there, because he would. I don't know what Demyx would be like with a heart, but without one, he's a coward. He doesn't really care about anyone else, and is only interested in not working.  
So no complaints? Good!**

Anyway, I think this chapter is slightly longer than the others, but not by much. I'm _trying_ to make them longer, but I'm finding it hard. Oh well, I'll get there eventually!

There's a pretty little button underneath this message, why don't you hit it and see what happens?  
~Vithian


	8. Interrogation Duty: Riku

**A/N: Since I'm an extremely forgetful person, and a horrible friend, I forgot to put this in last chapter…**

**Happy Birthday to The Wandering Apocalypse!**

**I'm sorry!**

**Anyway, one with the show!**

**Gah! This story is turning into a comedy whilst my back is turned! I'm hoping it will start to get more serious within the next couple of chapters, but I can't promise anything...**

**DiZclaimer: You're kidding, right? You click on a site that says FAN fiction and expect me to own Kingdom Hearts?  


* * *

**

_Now the dark begins to rise,  
Save your breath it's far from over  
Leave the lost and dead behind,  
Now's your chance to run for cover_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

With a look of complete and utter rage on my face, I stormed down the corridor of the Training Centre. The students, and even some of the teachers, all parted ways for me, the look on my face telling them that I was just about ready to kill someone.

I got interrogation duty. I _loathe_ interrogation duty.

And you know what makes it even worse? Sora's a freaking hero! Everyone's talking about the new recruit who scared an Organization member so bad, they surrendered, but their deceitful ways caused them to take a swing at Sora while he wasn't looking. What a load of crap.

Yes, Sora came into contact with an Organization XIII member, but there is no way in hell that the short, bubbly brunette, and I quote, "Struck fear into the hooded man's very soul." I just don't see it happening. Not only that, they wrote an article about it in the paper. On the front page. Complete with pictures of Sora's 'Hero Pose'.

Then, to make matters worse, Kairi is offered a place in the Graduates Medic Program. That's for people two years older than her. The only satisfaction I get from it is watching her slowly die from the pressure. Am I a horrible person? I think I just might be. But if she didn't want me to confiscate her sleeping pills, then she shouldn't have teased me for getting stuck with interrogation duty.

To top it all off, they're probably making me interrogate some spineless wimp who will break under the slightest of pressure. Where's the fun in snapping someone's will when they have none to begin with? They wouldn't tell me the guy's name, which usually means he's a low-life Dusk who doesn't know what he's fighting for, and has no worthwhile information. Just peachy.

"Identification, please." The nasally voice talks over a speaker. I look up at the camera in the corner, a small speaker in front of it, with a light just below that. A metal door blocks my path. I hold my ID up to the camera, and wait for her to approve. The light turns green, the door opens, and I start to make my way into the bowels of the building.

I pass very few guards, as most of this area is monitored by cameras. However, a guard is usually hiding in some secret spot, in case a prisoner finds a blind spot.

I pass a few rooms, most of them containing those who have no information, or who have spilled it all, and are therefore obsolete. At the end of the hallway, sits a desk. Behind the desk, the hallway splits into five.

"Riku Malaky, reporting for interrogation of Prisoner 29411813." I rattle off the prisoner's number, a simply serial code. The stout lady behind the desk looks up from her extremely old computer, and gases at me from behind her bottle cap glasses. She types in a few letters at breakneck speed, then gestures down corridor number four.

I roll my eyes as I make my way behind the desk and down the corridor. It seems more like a jail than anything, but I guess that, in a sense, that's what it is. Sure, sometimes we let the people go, but they're not allowed to leave the city and we keep them under watch. Any sign of treason and we come in and 'finish the job'.

"Finally Riku! What took you so long?"

"Shut it Yuffie." The ninja wasn't even fazed, the gigantic smile not once leaving her lips. Did I mention that interrogation is twice as bad when _Yuffie_ is the one you're partnered with? Cause it is. The girl doesn't ever shut up, and is always so happy and cheerful. It reminds me of Sora, but he's cuter.

She was currently standing outside room 29411813, leaning against the wall.

"Why haven't you gone inside yet?" The black haired girl gave me another too big smile, before standing straight and putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't have key." Once again, I rolled my eyes before digging through my pockets and locating the key they'd given me. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The interrogation room was simple. It had walls made out of metal and a sheet of thick glass bisecting the room. On one side was the prisoner's quarters, a simple bed in one corner, a toilet in the other, and not much else. On the other side were two cushioned chairs and some equipment to communicate with the prisoner.

The prisoner was currently lying on his bed, his back the only thing I could see. He was wearing the standard gbrey jumpsuit, and I could see some fire red hair poking out and stopping just beneath his neck.

"Prisoner, turn around." I had made my way over to the microphone, and demanded that this prisoner turn around. He was in no position to not listen to my orders, but for a second I thought he would. Then, he slowly started to move. A pale hand extended…

And flipped me off.

The shock wore off when I heard Yuffie snickering behind me. I gave her a glare out of the corner of me eye and turned back to the microphone.

"29411813, turn around or you will go without food for the next week." I demanded, my voice cold, but my mind was whirring with excitement. The ones that fought are always more fun to break.

"Fuck you!" The figure called out in a sing-song voice, still without turning around. Yuffie was now on the ground, unable to control her laughter. I wanted to stab her.

"Fine, you try it." I talked to Yuffie, the microphone off. The girl tried to stop her chuckles, got up from the floor, and reached for the microphone.

"Okay kid, I like you already. You've got spunk. But I'm gonna need you to turn around."

I scoffed at her lame attempts, but stopped short when I saw the guy sitting up. How the hell did she get that done? I gave her a look, which she completely ignored.

His hair was red. That was my first thought. But not orange-red, fire truck red. I mean, I probably can't talk about having strange coloured hair, what with mine being SILVER, not GREY, but it was kind of out there.

He had piercing green eyes, and although no one had ever broken the glass, he had convinced me with one glare that he could do it whenever he wanted to. Under his eyes were two tear drop tattoos, which only made him more intimidating.

Great, I was scared of my prisoner. You can really tell I'm cut out for this interrogation stuff.

"Good, now, I'm gonna ask you some stuff, and you're gonna answer, m'kay?"

"Not going to happen."

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands, _prisoner_." I snatch the microphone from Yuffie. Although the ninja could be drop dead scary when she tried, unless she can physically hurt you, she's almost no threat.

"Oh, right, I'm gonna be intimidated by a pre-teen with grey hair."

"I AM SEVENTEEN AND IT'S **SILVER**!" Without knowing, I'd stood up, and was practically pressed against the glass. I let out a low growl, closed my eyes, sat down, and started to count to ten.

One…

Two…

"Silver? Who the hell has silver hair?"

Three…

Four…

"Are you sure it's not grey?"

Five…

Six…

"Is it the stress?"

"I'm gonna KILL YOU!" I launched myself at him, all intents at wringing his scrawny, smartass neck. Until I hit the glass.

With a loud thud, my forehead connected with cool glass, and I fell to the floor, pissed and embarrassed. Yuffie soon joined me on the floor, laughing her freaking ass off. And our red haired friend was having trouble holding himself up, having resorted to leaning on the bed. This, of course, only made me more pissed. What kind of interrogator has their prisoner laugh at them?

With a death glare that would cause most people to run in fear, but only made my two 'friends' laugh harder.

"Look, just answer my questions." I spoke through clenched teeth, still giving the prisoner a glare. My only answer was a few barely suppressed snickers, so I went ahead and asked the questions. "What is your name and rank?"

"You don't recognise me? And here I was told everyone knew of me." The prisoner shook his head, feigning hurt. Yuffie, clutching at her side, got up and reached for the microphone.

"Okay, I think we can both agree that my friend here is terrible at this, so I'm gonna ask the questions now."

"Good, I like you better anyway."

"Name and rank?"

"Mmmm… Still not telling."

"Not even if I give you ice cream?"

"That is tempting… But I must decline."

"Look, you're going to be here a long, long time, and eventually, you're going to tell us. So it would be a lot quicker, and less painful, for you to just tell us now, instead of having to go through the entire ordeal we have lined up for you." I'd only seen Yuffie this serious three times in my life. The first one, when I was seven and almost stabbed her with a kunai. The second, when Sora and I tried to dye her cat pink. Don't ask why.

The third was now. She wasn't glaring at the prisoner, just being… Serious. It was kind of weird.

She picked up the phone and entered the number for the stout lady at the desk. I knew what was coming, and let out a long sigh. Seems like I won't be getting off reception duty for a while.

"Hello? This is Yuffie Kisaragi, operating number 5617, and I would like to stop all meals going to Prisoner 29411813… Yes… Thank you!" With a large, and slightly evil, smile in place, she turned back to the prisoner. "Until you talk, no food. If you want to die on us, it's not going to happen. At the first sign of death, we'll shove a tube down your throat and feed you a special mixture we came up with. It will stop you dying, but still leave you starved.

"Hope you talk soon!" She practically skipped out of the room. Except The Great Ninja Yuffie doesn't skip. At all.

I rolled my eyes and left as well, locking the door behind me.

I hate this job.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I don't want to change the world,  
I just want to leave it colder  
Light the fuse and burn it up,  
Take the path that leads to nowhere  
All is lost again, but I'm not giving in  
_  
**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_**1 Day, 4 Hours  
**_  
"So, what's your name?"

"…"

"Silent treatment, eh? Well, I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"…"

"God, this is such a bore! The least you could do is talk to me!"

"Shut it, prisoner."

"That's not nice, I do have a name."

"You won't tell me your name."

"True, that."

"…"

"So what's your name?"

"I swear, one more word out of you and I'll castrate you!"

"Awww, don't be like that. You're no fun."

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Tell me your name!"

"You're not, are you?"

"I don't mind calling you 'Dickhead' though, it seems to fit."

"Remember the glass. Remember the glass."

"You're still talking into the microphone."

"…"

"Hey, where are you- He left!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_**2 Days, 13 Hours**_

I have to admit that the guy's got strong will. He isn't showing any signs of fatigue or starvation, and still refuses to answer any questions. I did threaten to chop off his finger if he flips me off one more time. He didn't believe me. And it turns out, that in accordance with rule number 103; you aren't allowed to chop off any part of a prisoner's anatomy. There goes Plan B too…

"You gonna talk yet? I'd prefer to call you something other than prisoner 29411813."

"Actually, I'm growing rather fond of that name…" I let out a low growl, cursing rule number 103. Why did it have to exist? I could've gotten him to talk by now if I was allowed to chop a couple of fingers off.

And where the hell is Yuffie? She's much better it talking to this guy than I am…

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**  
_Watch the end from dying eyes,  
Now the dark is taking over  
Show me where forever dies  
Take the fall and run to heaven  
All is lost again but I'm not giving in_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_**5 Days, 2 Hours**_

"Riiiiiiiikuuuuuu!" I flinched as I heard Yuffie call my name out. I looked around, and I couldn't find anywhere to hide. Sprinting wouldn't do me any good, since Yuffie was one of the fastest Hollow Bastian has ever known. I turned around, and awaited my fate.

"Hi Yuffie…" I didn't even bother with a smile, and if Yuffie noticed my irritation- wait, of course she didn't notice. The black haired girl was doubled over, panting with each breath. She must have run a long way to be this exhausted.

"Riku… Riku, guess what? It… It's him!" She thrust a poster into my hand, and then collapsed to the ground, still panting. I simply stared at her blankly. "Riku… Look at the poster, damnit!"

I rolled my eyes, thinking it to be just another one of the many posters Yuffie's shown me about treasure she wants to steal. But I took one look at it, and I'm almost positive my eyes grew to two times their normal size.

On the poster, was a very blurry picture, and although the features were hard to distinguish, there was no mistaking that hair. It was Prisoner 29411813.

Underneath the picture, was a short paragraph, listing all the misdeeds he's committed, but two things caught my eye. One was his bounty, which was an astonishing 10,000,000 munny. The second was his name.

In truth, it wasn't even his name, more his title. He was The Flurry of Dancing Flames, Number VIII of Organization XIII.

And I threatened to cut his finger off.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_**6 Days, 22 Hours**_

"You must be at your breaking point about now!" I sighed, not caring if the microphone was on or not. VIII had been unresponsive for the last thirteen hours. I thought he had died when I first came in here about six hours ago, but Yuffie assured me he was still alive, just not moving.

Yuffie left about five hours ago, to get some rest. We'd had to keep a continuous eye on VIII now, because as a part of Organization XIII, he probably has plenty of ways to end his life without us knowing. At the very least, we know what we're dealing with now. There's no way we're going to be able to break him.

"We're not barbaric; we're not going to just let you die. If you talk, we can arrange for you to have a small apartment in the city. You'll be free to live your life!" It _sounded_ completely convincing, but I'm sure he saw through it. He was one of the best, and he knew that we'd never just let him go, even if we did keep an eye on him. It was just too big of a risk.

"Shut the fuck up." It was a growl, and I could barely hear him, but it got a smirk out of me. He was at least saying something.

"How about this, for every piece of important information you tell us, you'll get one meal. Sound fair?"

He'd gone back to ignoring me. I let out a sigh. This was going to be a long night.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_And I'll survive, paranoid  
I have lost the will to change  
And I am not proud, cold blooded fake  
I will shut the world away_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_**7 Days, 3 Hours**_

VIII hadn't moved since he said those four words nearly five hours ago. If I couldn't see the slow rise and fall of his chest, I would assume he was dead.

What really got me was that he hadn't said anything. Most of those fighting for Twaza are refugees that were forced too; he shouldn't feel any loyalty to them. So why wasn't he talking, even with the promise of food?

"They're not going to come rescue you, there's no way out, so why aren't you talking? You can't possibly feel loyalty to them, can you? You're disposable! The only thing they care about is you not talking." I'd been saying stuff like this on and off for the past hour. Whilst I knew it wasn't getting me anywhere, it kept my interested. Sort of. "We can give you a home, a job, a _life._ We can save you."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT SAVING?"The sudden outrage caught me by surprise. Even though the glass was there, VIII's rage still had my petrified. "You think everyone should be loyal to you and your god damned city, because you believe you can save as all. You believe you're our _salvation!_ Well, where were you when Twilight Town was bombed, huh? Did you save those thousands of lives? Did you? DID YOU?"

With a death glare aimed at my head, the red head lay down on his bed, faced the wall, and resumed what he'd been doing a minute ago. Namely, nothing.

I was proud of myself though. I managed to get some information out of him, which warrants a meal. I dialled the number for the reception desk and asked them to bring a standard meal up. A guard pushed it through a slot on the opposite side of the room, but VIII didn't get up and eat it. I was worried, but it was probably just his damned pride.

I needed to find someone who was in that bombing, someone he can sympathise with. Hopefully, that will get him to open up more.

With an almost evil laugh, I exited the room. Sending a quick message to Yuffie, telling her to get her ass down to the prisoner, I made my way out of the maze of corridors, all the while browsing my mind to find someone who was in that bombing.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Damnit!"Prisoner 29411813, aka The Flurry of Dancing Flames, aka Axel, let out a string of profound curses that would make a sailor blush. Not only had he accidently let slip some information about himself, the second Pissed Off Grey Dude left, he rushed forward to the food and ate it all in one gulp.

Sure, the information wasn't particularly important in the grand scheme of things, but it was more a testimony of will.

Old Man Teen had gotten through to him once.

There was almost no doubt he'd do it again.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_And I'll survive, paranoid  
I have lost the will to change  
And I am not proud, cold blooded fake  
I will shut the world away  


* * *

_

**A/N: This story is getting longer than I thought it would. And has anyone noticed my lack of dialogue? I tried to make up for it in this chapter...  
**

**And a bunch of Axel bashing in Chapter Eight, how horrible am I?**

**The song is I Will Not Bow, by Breaking Benjamin.**

**I have two questions for you!**

**One, would you like me to write some chapters about Organization XIII whilst Axel is imprisoned? He's gonna be there for a while, so I wanna know if you guys want to hear just a bit about what's going on back at The World That Never Was.**

**Two, who do you think Riku is going to bring in? I want to hear all of your ideas! Here's a hint, it's not Roxas or Reno. That won't be for a while.**

**It may also be subject to change, so if you have a good idea, don't hesitate to say so!**

Also, there are *counts* four hidden pairings in this chapter! They're all from Organization XIII, and if anyone can name all four, the next chapter will be dedicated to them! If no one can name all of them, then whoever names the most. Okay? Okay!  


**I need to shorten my author's notes… But this chapter was longer! That counts for something, right? (I just checked, it wasn't longer...)  
~Vithian**


	9. Past and Present: Yazoo

**A/N: Alright, so I had quite a few creative guesses, but here's the real answers. Please note, there were more than four, but you only had to get four! I realised this after I posted the chapter, so sorry!**

**Anyway, here are the answers!  
First, Axel's Prisoner Number – 29411813  
29 = XigDem; 411 = MarVex; 813 = Akuroku**

**Second, Yuffie's Operating Number – 5617  
56 = LexZex  
17 = XemSai**

**Thirdly, Rule 103  
103 = XalLux**

**And, finally, "**VIII had been unresponsive for the last thirteen hours." **  
That one's kind of obvious if you're looking for it (and yes, I forgot about it…)**

**Some of you came up with interesting answers… Xemnas/Vexen just sounds hilarious!**

**This chapter is dedicated to two people *shock, horror!***

**The Wandering Apocalypse, for getting the most, and Hadrianus-dark1 for making me an awesome fan video! The link is on my profile, go check it out! I almost squealed when I found out, and again when I watched it *hangs head in shame***

* * *

_Is it true what they say,_  
_Are we too blind to find the way?_  
_Fear of the unknown cloud our hearts today._  
_Come into my world, see through my eyes._  
_Try to understand, don't want to lose what we have_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

I thumbed through the magazine, not reading anything unless it caught my attention. The TV was on in the background, even though the only person home was me, and I was currently lying on the lounge, barely paying attention to the magazine in my hands. But I didn't own a remote, and I was having a lazy day, which meant no excessive movement. That included getting up to turn the TV off.

"Hey Yazoo, guess what?" I leaned back; my head hanging over the edge of the lounge, making the room appear upside down. Riku was leaning over me, a large smile on his face. Well, large for Riku.

"What is it?" I reply, calm and collected. It's just how I am.

"The prisoner talked today."Riku moved away, out of my line of sight. I flipped onto my stomach so I could see him, put the magazine down, and watched as he walked into the kitchen.

"What did he say?"I call out, knowing Riku would be back in a moment with a sandwich. Just like every day.

"Well, I got him riled up, and he told me, more like screamed at me, that I didn't know what I was talking about, that if we wanted to help we would've been there when the bomb hit Twilight Town." At this, my younger brother let out a self satisfied chuckle. I, on the other hand, felt my eyes widen at the mentioning of that particular part of the war. I took a deep breath, and prayed to any gods that were willing to listen, that Riku wouldn't notice.

The gods aren't very fair.

"Yazoo? You alright?" No, no I'm not. I was, until you brought up that.

"Um, yeah, I'll be fine. Anyway, continue please."

"Alright, if you say so. I want to find someone who was in that bombing, someone he can relate to, so he'll hopefully open up and reveal some information. But, I can't think of anyone who was in it that would be of any use to us. What about you?" He just wants to make this hard, doesn't he?

"Riku… Listen, there's something I want to tell you." Riku looked up from his food, and looked at me just like Kadaj used to… When he wanted to be a manipulative bastard. Don't get me wrong, I loved my brothers dearly, sometimes, but Kadaj just had an air about him. An air that demanded you follow his orders, or be eliminated.

Riku inherited _the look_, which we got from our father. Loz could never do it, and I could only do it when I was extremely pissed. Riku could do it, but nowhere near as well as Father and Kadaj could.

Back to the matter at hand, Riku was still staring at me, wondering what I was talking about. Gods, did he even know he was giving me _the look_?

"What is it?" Riku urged me to continue, gesturing with his hand. I must've zoned out and forgot he was there. Meh.

"Do you remember our brothers?"

"You mean the ones in that picture?" I knew which picture he was talking about. The only picture left of us as a family. Father hadn't wanted any reminders, but I begged him to save one picture, for Riku's sake, as he'll never know his family now.

"Yeah, do you know how they died?"

"Car accident?"

"Try again."

"Plague?"

"Nope."

"A murder-murder-suicide pact?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, what then?" My younger brother snapped, sick of this game. With a sigh, I resigned myself to telling him.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_We've been dreaming  
But who can deny,  
It's the best way of living__  
Between the truth and the lies_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_"Mummy! Mummy! Look at all the tall buildings!" Little five year old Riku exclaimed, clutching Jenova's hand tightly. To the child's left was Loz, who, despite just being nine, was making sure I didn't wander off. I had a tendency to get distracted and wind up lost._

_On Jenova's other side was Sephiroth, her husband of fifteen years. And on the Sephiroth's left was Kadaj, the eldest of the brother's at twelve. All of us had the same silver hair and green eyes, except Jenova, whose eyes were a harsh red, and Riku, whose eyes were more of an aquamarine. We were quite a sight, pale skin and silver hair amongst the tan and dark haired Twilight Towners. But we were on vacation, and we barely noticed some of the stares we got. Besides, Twilight Town was based around tourism, and they'd had some strange people come through their town. A family that bordered albino was nothing new._

_"Yes Riku, I see the buildings." Jenova sounded completely exasperated. The buildings in Radiant Garden were much taller, but Riku's five year old mind couldn't remember anything besides the things he was seeing now. "We're going back to the hotel now, okay?"_

_"Very well, Mother." Kadaj replied in that superior tone of his. We were all well mannered children; even Riku could be when he tried."I believe the bus stop is that way."_

_We got quite a few strange looks at the bus stop, courtesy of me getting distracted, Loz trying to stop me from leaving, Kadaj 'accidently' (_To this day, I still believe he did it on purpose_) elbowing me in the ribs, Loz standing up for me, Kadaj making fun of me for Loz fighting my battles, me yelling at Kadaj to shut up, and before we knew it, we were trying to rip each others throats out._

_"Stop. Now." Father commanded, using his SOLDIER voice. We all froze, Kadaj clutching the front of my shirt, fist raised, my hand pulling Loz's hair out and my foot in Kadaj's stomach, Loz's knee in my back and his hands around my neck. Quickly, we assembled ourselves. A little old lady was staring at us, until all the children, except the oblivious Riku, turned to stare at her. Three vibrant green eyes, stayed locked onto her until the bus finally came._

_The bus ride was uneventful, except for Kadaj being thrown off the bus and us having to walk back to the hotel. But we all expected that to happen now. It was an oddity when we weren't kicked out because of something one of us had done._

_The hotel room was small. Very small. It had several rooms- a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen and a living room. However, it only had one bed. Jenova and Sephiroth shared the bed, Kadaj got the couch, Loz got one recliner and I had the other one, and Riku got the floor and extra pillows and blankets. It was always random who got the floor, and the other three fought over who got the couch._

_We were all in bed, but none of us were asleep. It wasn't late, and Mother and Father said we could stay up as long as we didn't fight. She and Father were in the bedroom, watching TV. We, too, were watching TV, but we were watching some cartoon whilst Jenova and Sephiroth were watching the news._

_None of us expected it. Mother and Father came out, calm as ever, but with an air of urgency surrounding them. They ushered us into the bathroom, Jenova trying to keep Kadaj from killing Riku, who had tripped Kadaj over. We were an unusual family._

_"All of you, sit still." Father commanded, and we all obeyed, sitting on the edge of the bath. Mother clutched Father's wrist and we all waited. After a minute, we heard a loud explosion, quite close to where we were. Riku started whimpering, and for once Kadaj didn't call him a girl for crying._

_I started to shake, another explosion, this time closer. Loz saw me shaking and gave me a hug, knowing that I wouldn't push him away as I usually did._

_Kadaj was trying to be strong, but as the eldest, he knew what was happening, as he had heard plenty of stories about similar situations from his father. Tears stained his cheeks as he realised that this might be the last time he saw any of us._

_Mother saw as all, no tears in her eyes. Jenova never cried, but we could see the sadness there. She left us with some parting words, a small smile on her face. We all looked up, tears in all eight eyes._

_"Live life for those you've lost"_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_See who I am,  
Break through the surface  
Reach for my hand,  
Let's show them that we can  
Free our minds and find a way  
The world is in our hands,  
This is not the end_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_"-believe you. He's not dead." I slowly opened my eyes, the bright light blinding me. Couldn't they turn them down? I was trying to sleep!_

_There were at least two people in the room, but apart from that, there wasn't much I could tell._

_"I'm sorry for your loss." Shuffling feet, a door closing. The other person sighed, and I heard him sit down to the right of me. Finally, I got my eyes open._

_It was still bright, still very bright, but I could see. I was in a hospital bed, with quite a few people surrounding me, most of them in hospital beds as well. My head hurt, quite a lot, but I refused to fall back asleep again._

_There was a boy, no more than seven, in a chair to my left; he was looking at a blond toddler in a bed, who was currently unconscious. The boy had fire red hair, and a pair of dirty, broken goggles sat on top of his head._

_"He's not dead Roxas, don't listen to him." The red head said, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. He sighed again, before turning to look at me. His eyes widened when he saw me awake, and he immediately scrambled to my bedside. "Are you okay?"_

_"What…?" I couldn't finish, as my throat felt like it had caught fire. The red head understood my question, and handed me a glass of water before answering._

_"The hospital. You're Yazoo, right? I read your chart. My name's Reno, yo." The boy smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I'm glad I have a friend. It was getting lonely here."_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Fear is withering the soul  
At the point of no return  
We must be the change  
We wish to see  
I'll come into your world,  
See through your eyes  
I'll try to understand,  
Before we lose what we've had_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Only you, me and Father survived. You had the least injuries, but you suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and blocked out all memories of the matter. Father and I decided it would be best if we didn't remind you. We let you draw your own conclusions about what happened." I took a deep breath. That was horrible to remember, after I'd locked it all away in a small chest in my mind, marked 'NEVER TO BE OPENED', but Riku had to know. He could handle it now.

"Is that why we went to Midgar?" My only surviving brother asked in a small voice, shock written plainly on his face. I gave a small nod, our eyes meeting. He didn't believe me, I could see it. But then he started to put the pieces together. "Why did Father leave?"

"He couldn't handle it. That's why he bought us this place, so he can stay in Midgar whilst we live here." It was true. I turned seventeen last year, and he requested that they let me have a house of my own, even though I was supposed to wait another year. They agreed, but only because Father threatened to retire. They needed him now more than ever. But he fought from Midgar, as Hollow Bastian only brought back memories.

"Yazoo… Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah little bro?" I only called him that when he needed comfort, and I could tell he was grateful for the thought.

"Can… Can you interview the prisoner?" I must've looked shocked, because Riku suddenly tried to elaborate what he said. "I-I mean, I don't really think I can face him, or anyone, at the moment, but this is important and…" Riku started to babble, going on and on about the importance of work and that he was too upset to go anywhere.

"Riku, stop, you're rambling. Yes, I will, don't worry." Riku perked up, looking happier instantly, though you could still see the imminent despair hidden in his eyes. And, surprising me greatly, he gave me a hug, before rushing down to his room. That was something I didn't expect. With a small smile, I got up and turned the TV off before retreating to my room as well.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_We just can't stop believing  
'Cause we have to try  
We can rise above  
Their truth and their lies_

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Hey Yuffie." I greeted the not-so-hidden ninja as I made my way down the corridor.

"How did you know I was there?" She jumped out of her hiding place, disappointed that her prey hadn't fallen for her trick as easily as she thought he would.

"I'm psychic." I told her sarcastically whilst entering the pass code Riku had given me.

"Really? Wow, I never knew…" The girl stared at me, wonder in her eyes. I rolled my green orbs at her gullibility, and then opened the door.

The prisoner was curled up in the corner of the room, not moving at all.

"Is he alive?" I asked, wondering if this was another of Yuffie's pranks.

"Yeah, sort of. We had to starve him to get info, but he'll be fine eventually." The ninja waved it off, before giving me a short run down of all we knew about Prisoner 29411813. "Okay, he's number VIII of Organization XIII, he was in the Twilight Bombing, and he has quite a sarcastic nature, and that's about it."

Hmmm, not much to work with, but I'll just improvise.

"VIII, can you turn around?" I asked into the microphone, wondering if he'd even show any signs of hearing me.

He didn't.

I tried again. "Please? I can get you food." At the prospect of food, he made a movement. I heard him say something, very quietly, but I could still make it out.

"Where's asshat?"

"Who?" I asked. Who the hell was asshat?

"He's talking about Riku. VIII and Riku didn't get along." Well, that explains some things, like why Riku came home a week ago face red with rage and a large purple bruise on his head.

"Look, I've never even been on interrogation duty, so I'm just gonna talk, alright?"I asked Yuffie, who gave me a shrug. I turned the microphone back on.

"Alright VIII- Actually, screw that, can I call you something besides VIII?" I knew he wasn't going to answer, but it was worth a try.

VIII seemed to sigh, before letting out a name.

"Lea."

Lea sounded half dead. "Yuffie, get Lea some food." The ninja gave me a thumbs up and a gigantic smile, and I was sure I heard a ping sound, then she was gone.

In a couple of seconds, Yuffie was back with a bowl of noodles. I wasn't going to ask where she got them; I just slid them through the food slot and into Lea's room. Lea must've smelt them, because he got up and raced over to the bowl, before stuffing his face with noodles.

I, however, was in complete and total shock. This guy, Lea, looked almost identical to Reno. Same hair, except Lea's was spikier, same face; the only difference was the tattoos, and the eyes. Lea had tear drop tattoos and green eyes, whilst Reno had scar-like tattoos and blue eyes. But the only sibling Reno had ever mentioned was Axel… I should tell Reno about this, and I will, but I refuse to get him all excited for someone who wasn't his long lost brother.

Of course, a good time to realise this was when I was halfway to Reno's apartment, knowing the red head would have slept in without me there to pound on his door so he wouldn't miss his six o'clock class.

But I was pounding on his door now, frantically. Despite whatever 'Lea' told me, I was positive that this was Reno's brother. No one else had hair that red.

A very sleepy looking Roxas answered the door, his normal post-sex hair looking even wilder and messier. Dull blue eyes took in my slightly dishevelled appearance, before stepping aside and letting me in. I sprinted through the living room, before throwing Reno's door open.

Said red head was sprawled across his bed in a very uncomfortable looking position. His room was a complete sty, and not even Reno could tell you what he kept in there.

"Reno, get your lazy ass out of bed and come with me!"

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_See who I am,  
Break through the surface  
Reach for my hand,  
Let's show them that we can  
Free our minds and find a way  
The world is in our hands_

**

* * *

**

**A/N: It was such a great note to end on! Has anyone else noticed that my '****o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o' things get longer with each chapter?  
**

**The song is See Who I Am, by Within Temptation.**

**Okay, I now have the basic plan of this story done! Hopefully I'll update faster…**

**Who expected Yazoo? No one? Ah, I like to surprise you guys! And I love writing Yazoo, he's so much fun!**

**Alright, another question for you guys? Would you like some minor character romance? I'm thinking of some SoRiku, or Reno/Yazoo, and maybe some Organization Pairings, but I want you guys to think of those, because I am super lazy! So yeah, would you guys like some minor character romance? I may just put it in there anyway because I can, but I want to know what you guys are thinking!**

**Rambling is fun  
~Vithian**


	10. In My Memories: Roxas

**A/N: I hate the flu. Makes me feel sick… God, I'm having a blond day. No offence to blondes, of course. But, I am a blond… I've confused myself.  
Anyway, just something funny happened today. I've found out that Kingdom Hearts is great for things like Science. We were talking about light and dispersion, and the question was 'Which colour has the longest wavelength?' Now, being the KH fanatic I am, I was dreaming about Kingdom Hearts, and the question barely registered in my mind. But, my thoughts then turned to 358/2 Days, the scene where Axel says red travels the farthest? Well, all that passed through my head in a matter of milliseconds, then I put two and two together, and basically shouted "It's RED!" Then everyone looked at me strangely. But it was fun! o 3o**

**Moving on, enjoy this chapter!  


* * *

**

_I'll be coming home  
Just to be alone  
Cause I know you're not there  
And I know that you don't care  
I can hardly wait to leave this place_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

When a very frazzled Yazoo came knocking on my door, at six in the morning no less, I didn't really pay it much attention. I knew he was here for Reno, and when Reno's involved, you have to expect the unexpected.

Just like when I started hearing a heated argument five minutes later, I just went and got some, hopefully not expired, milk, and sat down at the kitchen table, listening to some of the things Reno and Yazoo could come up with.

"If you just cut it off, we wouldn't be having this problem!"

"Cut off my _hair_? Are you freaking insane!"

"No, I'm being practical! You're hair is impossible to brush!"

"That's 'cause you're not brushing it! You're ripping it out! And who are you to talk, I've seen all your hair products!"

"At least I don't own jasmine conditioner!"

"Yes you do! I've used it!"

_"Shut the fuck up!" _A voice emanated from above my head. I rolled my eyes, knowing that no matter how hard the neighbours tried, they'd never get Reno and Yazoo to shut up once they're on a roll. Reno can be pretty intimidating, considering he looks like a mob boss, and Yazoo could probably decapitate someone with his foot.

I put the milk back in the fridge, and followed the screaming. I opened the bathroom door to find a pissed off Yazoo glaring a furious Reno, who was holding a hair brush in his left hand.

"Both of you, the neighbours will try to evict us _again_ if you don't shut up." I ordered, giving them a glare of my own. I may not be intimidating, but I can be a bastard when I want to be. They both shot each other glares, before Yazoo quickly exited the bathroom, and Reno went back to his hair.

Making my way back to the kitchen to try and find something edible before Reno came out and devoured everything, I found Yazoo texting away, looking frantic. I decided to just ask, instead of waiting for him to tell me.

"Why are you here so early?"

"Because… Something's happened and there's someone I want Reno to see." Yazoo replied, not looking up from his texting.

"Who?" I prompted, wanting more information.

"I think it's his-"

"Alright Yazoo, we can go… _Now!_" Reno made a dramatic exit from the bathroom, his hair officially fixed. I cursed the red head for his bad timing.

"Okay. Roxas, you wanna come?" I gave a shake of my head, despite how much I really wanted to go.

"Got class today." I hung my head, not wanting to think about the day ahead.

"I'll give you a pass. Come on, I think you should see this." I nodded, anything to get out of that dreary class room. I rushed into my room, threw on a hoodie and jeans, spent a minute trying to fix my post sex hair, gave up, and rushed back out.

Reno was currently trying to pull Yazoo out the door, whilst Yazoo was blushing horribly, probably due to the fact that Reno was holding the silverette's hand. I gave a quick smirk before following. _'I always knew there was something there… Now if only Reno could realise it.'_

Despite the fact that it was incredibly early in the morning, Reno seemed to be in a good mood, stopping and looking at the weapons store on the way. He called out that he'd catch up in a second, and I decided that know would be a good time to question Yazoo.

"So, how long have you loved him?" I asked, not even looking over at the silverette. I could see him in the corner of my eye, and smirked when I saw him spluttering and blushing.

"W-Who?" He asked in a shaky voice, suddenly looking around to see if anyone was listening.

"Do you want me to say it?"

"Say what?" I didn't even flinch as Reno popped up behind me, used to him appearing out of nowhere at unexpected moments. Yazoo, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He let a squeak, before blushing and hurrying ahead. "What's his problem?"

"He's lovesick." I half turned my head, wanting to see Reno's reaction. His face remained neutral, if a little forced, but his eyes gave everything away. He was horrified, depressed, and just all around miserable. But all of that passed in a second. Reno leant on my shoulder, put up a fake smirk and continued as if nothing had happened.

"Is that so?" He asked in a sly voice, but I could hear the worry there. I couldn't tell him about Yazoo, because the silverette needed to say it. If he even knows himself.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_No matter how hard I try  
You're never satisfied  
This is not a home  
I think I'm better off alone  
_**  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Okay, just wait here for a second, and I'll get you two a clearance pass." Yazoo walked up to the desk and asked, quiet politely, for two clearance passes. The lady pushed her thick, tortoise rimmed glasses and gave Yazoo a glare that would forever go down in the history books as 'The Glare That Can Melt Glass'. To the sliverette's credit, he didn't back down, instead, he asked again. With a sigh, I realised that this could take a while.

Reno looked incredibly bored, not at all interested in waiting around. If it was up to him, we would've just blown the door up, along with all the annoying receptionists.

"Soooooo…"

"I'm not telling you who it is." I cut Reno off with a glare. The red head pouted, trying to make his blue eyes as large as possible. _'Crap. Crap. Crap! He __knows__ I can't resist that look!'_

I could feel myself crumbling beneath his gaze. Damnit, when did his eyes get so big? And since when did Reno pout?

"Okay, I got you guy's passes…" Yazoo came back, but froze when he saw what was happening. With a confused look, he just gave us our passes and motioned for us to follow. Reno kept up the look, but I could walk away now. He must've sensed that he couldn't get any information out of me, because he miraculously stopped trying soon after.

Yazoo stopped at a door marked '29411813' and entered a pass code into a number pad next to the handle. With a click, the door unlocked and the silverette opened it. I could feel the tension building. Who was in there? What was so important that it had to be done at six in the morning?

In the room was a woman of about eighteen with short black hair, a bandana on her forehead. Yazoo gave her a nod, and she left the room without any fuss. That was unusual in itself. I'd only seen her a couple of times, but she'd always been loud and obnoxious, nothing like the subdued woman who had just closed the door.

"Lea, can you turn around? I have a feeling you know these people…" My attention was drawn to a grey lump on the opposite side of the glass. Said lump moved slightly, let out a sigh, and turned around.

I must've stopped breathing. That could be the only explanation as to why I was breathless.

Prisoner Number 29411813, according to the door. Number VII, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, according to Organization XIII. Lea, according to Yazoo.

Axel, according to my memories.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_You always disappear  
Even when you're here  
This is not my home  
I think I'm better off alone  
_**  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Breathing hard, I looked up to find myself in a garden. As soon as I recognised who it was, I fled the room, unable to deal with the repressed memories he brought up. Pictures flew through my mind, of fire and debris, voices calling out to me, the pain I felt and the long weeks of recovery. It was overwhelming, and I fell to the concrete, struggling to breathe.

Unbidden, a few tears escaped from my eyes. This alone, caused me to sit up. I can't remember the last time I cried. When I was younger, I had nightmares every night, and I always woke up screaming and fearing for my life, but never crying. Even when I was declared a pariah by most of the kids my age, I tried to put on a brave face and act as though it didn't bother me.

The last time I cried was when Reno told me that Axel wasn't coming to see me. I asked if he was injured, that maybe I should go see him. But the look on Reno's face said that he wasn't injured, and I didn't understand. Why couldn't he come see me if he was fine? We were friends, right?

My four year old mind hadn't been able to comprehend death. It was beyond my understanding, but I did understand that Axel, as well as my parents, were never coming back, that I would never see them again. Over the years, I'd tried to keep hoping, but eventually, I just gave up. A small part of my mind must've kept assuring me that he was still alive, but the voice died out too, stopped whispering assurances in my ear when I needed them.

I stood up, but my legs gave out underneath me. I leant against a nearby tree and considered banging my head against it. This was a dream. It had to be. My dreams always started this way. I'd see my parents, or Axel, and believe that they must be alive, only for the dream to end in their deaths.

_'How is this effecting Reno_?'My mind wandered, trying to stay off the topic of a certain emerald eyed red head. '_If it's affecting me this horribly, just imagine_ _what Reno's going through.'_ That didn't really make me feel any better, just guilty that I broke down when Reno had to put up a brave face.

I had to go back and face Axel. Not for me, or him, but for Reno. Because after all he's done, he deserves a chance to let it all out without worrying over little Roxas.

With a new determination, I went about trying to find my back, unsure of what I'd do once I was there, but knowing that I had to get there, one way or another.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_By the time you come home  
I'm already stoned  
You turn off the TV  
And you scream at me  
I can hardly wait  
Till you get off my case__  
_**  
****0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Um, hey, can you help me with this?" I turned at the sound of the voice to see an Infantryman, waving from down the hall. Confused, I followed. Despite the fact that he was only an Infantryman, he still out ranked me, which meant I had to help him.

"What do you need?" That doesn't mean I'll show him the same respect I'd show someone who was a SOLDIER operative, or a Turk.

"I have to fix this electrical board. It short circuited, and some of the cells have lost power." The guy said, stopping in front of an opened electricity board. There were flashing lights, wires, knobs and dials. I knew absolutely nothing about this kind of thing, but I could tell the guy was desperate.

"What should I do?"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"The Infantryman practically gushed, letting out a sigh of relief. "First, turn that knob." I reached out, turned the knob he pointed to, whilst he redirected some wires. "Okay, now push that button." The process was repeated, until, after only five minutes, the power went out.

I looked up at the lights, wondering whether that was supposed to happen. I turned to the Infantryman, but he was muttering to himself, not paying attention to me at all.

"I told them they were sending the wrong guy!" The Infantryman started working frantically, pushing buttons, redirecting wires and turning knobs at amazing speeds."Hey, kid, get out of here, okay? They're gonna be pissed that I knocked some of the power out, but if you leave, they'll never know you were involved."

I simply stood there, shocked. This guy was going to take the fall?

"GO!" He ordered, and I turned tail and ran, making my way back to Axel.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**  
_  
__No matter how hard I try  
You're never satisfied  
This is not a home  
I think I'm better off alone  
You always disappear  
Even when you're here  
This is not my home  
I think I'm better off alone  


* * *

_

**A/N: This is a short chapter. I want it to be longer, but the next chapter demands that it end here. And I can't say no to the chapter. No sir eee!**

**Hope you enjoyed! This story seems like it's going to end sometime soon, seeing as this next chapter is pivotal to the plot and I expected it to come a lot later.**

**The song is Home by Three Days Grace. I do love them. I only have three bands that I religiously listen to; Within Temptation (obvious), Three Days Grace (again, obvious) and Good Charlotte (How can you not love them?)**

**Anyway, I want to know, out of the following, which Organization pairing you would want in this story most?  
MarVex, XigDem or XalLux?  
I'm willing to put all of them in it, but it would be kind of hard and might distract from the actual storyline… But! If you want all three, just say so!  
~Vithian**


	11. Morse Code: Demyx & Axel

**A/N: Hoe Mah Gawd! There's a POV change in here! It's amazing… And it won't happen often. It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did, so deal with it.**

**Not only am I sick, I think I've gone stir crazy too. Oh well! (So they sent a small child to kill me! Well, I'm not going down without a fight! … Yes, I am watching Futurama)**

My chapters are getting shorter and shorter... I'm going to have to do something about that!

I've been meaning to say this for a couple of chapters. I'm Australian, but I've read too many American fics, which means my spelling has become some kind of American/Australian mix. Sorry!  


**Moving on, enjoy this chapter!  


* * *

**

_If you feel so empty  
So used up, so let down  
If you feel so angry  
So ripped off so stepped on  
You're not the only one  
Refusing to back down  
You're not the only one  
So get up_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

With a look of absolute glee, I practically skipped over to the armoury, some of the new recruits giving me strange looks. I ignored them, knowing they'd get used to my 'moods' eventually. Besides, I was too happy to care what some nobodies thought about me.

Opening the large metal door, I went straight to the guns. Sasha was in my room, as she always was, but I would need some long ranged weapons for this mission.

See, recently, Axel had been kidnapped… Kind of. Captured, more like. Anyway, standard policy of Twaza, if someone's been captured, they're a lost cause. However, it wasn't usually Organization XIII people who got captured.

The Superior had been livid. He had searched relentlessly for the leak, and when he finally found it, he disposed of the scum right away. Now, Hollow Bastian had broken the treaty that was the only thing stopping Twaza from blowing Hollow Bastian to oblivion. But Xemnas wanted revenge. Simply blowing them up would leave us with a hollow victory. With a smirk, I took some grenades and some C4, just for good measure.

Feeling confident that I had enough artillery, I headed back to my room. I wanted to be in disguise, simply because I wanted to break Axel out. Xemnas never really specified whether we should break him out or not, so I took it as a 'Go ahead'.

I had many disguises. Whenever we caught someone, we kept their uniform, just in case. I ended up with most of them, as I was the only person who went undercover. Everyone else was more straight forward. I decided to go with a standard Shinra Infantryman uniform. They had access to most places, right? Doesn't matter if I'm wrong. If anyone sees me and comments on it, I'll just fill 'em with lead. No biggie.

I hid the many weapons in my disguise, so I looked exactly like a standard Infantryman. Problem now? Sasha. I refused to leave her behind, but I'd stand out with her on my back. _'I know! I'll take her with me, and if I need to, I'll leave her with Xigbar… On second thought, I'll find a safe place once I'm there.'_ I wouldn't trust anyone with Sasha. She was the only thing left that I cared about.

"Demyx, you ready?" A certain scarred man called out, sounding incredibly impatient. We were all impatient, this wasn't something we got to do every day.

"Yeah, coming out know!" I called back, grabbing my helmet and rushing out of the dorms. Outside, Xigbar was dressed in his Organization XIII cloak, clutching his twin arrowgun blasters in his hands and a bazooka strapped to his back.

Behind him was Marluxia, twirling his pink scythe distractedly, whilst Luxord was absently flipping through his cards, occasionally picking one out and studying it. Saix was polishing his Claymore, sending Marluxia cold glares that the pinkette completely ignored. The only other person there was Lexeaus, who stood silently over at the side, towering over the others.

All of them were in their cloaks, but no one even noticed that I wasn't. I guess since I'm the only one who goes on undercover missions anymore, they're used to me looking like all sorts of things. Last month, I had to dress as a mermaid to get into a party with 'Underwater' as the theme. There were pictures of my disguise hanging up in everyone's rooms for two weeks!

"You take forever to get changed." Marluxia stated in that strange monotone voice of his. I just smiled. Marluxia could be a complete bastard at times, but… Actually, that's about it. Even if he likes you, he's a bastard. What was my point again?

Anyway, we had a mission. To cause as much destruction as we can. Who doesn't want a mission like that? Apparently, Vexen and Zexion. Although, neither of them go on many missions. Lexeaus wasn't going to go either, but Xemnas demanded that he go, because we needed at least six people, and convincing any of the others to go wouldn't be easy. Besides, we needed strength, and who was stronger than Lexeaus?

"Well, come on man! We've already waited long enough for your sorry ass!" Xigbar called out, getting into a khaki jeep. I put Sasha in the back and jumped in the passenger seat. Just as I was sitting down, Xigbar started driving, faster than any maniac would drive. I looked over to see another Jeep on my right, this one had Luxord and Marluxia in it, Luxord driving whilst Marluxia half hung out the side of the vehicle, his hair blowing behind him. To my left was another Jeep, this one had Lexeaus driving, with Saix sitting next to him, looking as emotionless as ever. That man scared me more than Marluxia did sometimes.

I must of fallen asleep on the way there. I never do function properly before ten.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_  
_  
_Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot  
Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Smashing another car window in, a look of absolute glee overcame my features. I had ten minutes to smash whatever I wanted, and then I had to sneak in and get Axel out. All in all, we had to be out of here in around half an hour. The others would continuously move, all of them with their hoods up. None of them would be seen at the same time, leading authorities to believe it was one person, two at most. It wasn't our best strategy, but it would be effective.

"Hey, get him!" I gave the pitiful policeman a look of annoyance. He was interfering with my fun! I practically waltz over to the Training Centre, turned around and pulled a face at the policeman and the mob behind him, and threw open the doors. My ten minutes had been cut short, I'd only been here a minute! I had to make someone pay!

But that would have to wait until after I got Axel out now. In my Infantryman's uniform, no one questioned me. Most of them had left the building, to go and stop the attack, but once I got down to the cells, everyone was still there. The walls were lined with aluminium, and each cell was soundproof.

"Identification." A lady at a desk ordered, looking at me from above her tortoise rimmed glasses. Trying to make myself sound as desperate and pathetic as possible, I started to speak.

"Th… There's a… riot," I paused in between each word, taking deep breaths, pretending I was exhausted. "We… We need people… up there!" At this, the lady sighed, motioned for me to move, and walked off. I heard her talking on a phone right around the corner, and I took my chance to sneak in.

I love my job.

Once inside, I cursed myself for not taking the opportunity to look at which room Axel was in. But they wouldn't know he was Axel, right? If they did, he'd be dead already. If he was dead, Hollow Bastian would have made a holiday out of it. So he's alive, but I have no idea where he is.

"The power! Yes, yes of course…" If I could turn the power off, I could use Morse code on one of the supporting poles. If Axel taps back, I could ask him what number he was. He should have a plastic knife or something he could eat with, he could tap on the wall with that and I would hear it. But if I didn't turn the power off, the hum of all the machines would drown it out. That, and it would be much easier to break him out if there were no machines and stuff.

After searching for a whole _two minutes_, I finally found that main power board. My plan was to, originally, just pull a bunch of wires out and hope the power went down without me dying.

Then, some blond kid who looked like he'd been crying his eyes out shuffled up the hallway. I was sort of scared he'd discover me and mess of the mission, so I improvised and came with an excuse.

"Um, hey, can you help me with this?" I rubbed the back of my neck and gave him a shaky smile. The teen just glared at me from under his strange, post-sex hair. His clothes were all ruffled up, and he looked about ready to kill someone. _'Maybe I just disrupted his sex time?'_ I fought a blush that threatened to creep up onto my face.

"What do you need?" The teen rolled his eyes and retorted with as much attitude as possible.

"I have to fix this electrical board. It short circuited, and some of the cells have lost power." I almost threw my fist in the air at my awesome excuse. I'd like to see _Saix_ come up with a better one. Although, he probably would've just fought his way in.

"What should I do?" The guy sighed, looking defeated. I completely ignored it, letting myself believe I felt happy.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I forced myself to smile, this time it was a little less forced than last time. "First, turn that knob." Whilst he did that, I started redirecting the wires, hoping I wouldn't die. "Okay, now push that button." We kept going for a while, me instructing him whilst I fiddled with the wires, trying to look like I knew what I was doing.

After five minutes, the power went out. Keeping my happiness on the inside, I scowled at the lights, and muttered a short "I told them they were sending the wrong guy!" I knew that only some of the power had been lost, so I frantically started to mess with the wires. With a start, I realised the teen was still there, watching my every movement. "Hey, kid, get outta here, okay? They're gonna be pissed that I knocked some of the power out, but if you leave, they'll never know you were involved!" I lied through my teeth. If they caught me, I'd put all the blame on him for knocking the power out, and I was just trying to fix it.

He just stared at me. It was starting to make me uncomfortable, so I simply shouted "GO!" The kid finally got into gear, and sprinted down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight, I too, left the scene.  
**  
****0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_If you feel so filthy  
So dirty so fucked up  
If you feel so walked on  
So painful so pissed off  
You're not the only one  
Refusing to go down  
You're not the only one  
So get up_

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

I was running behind schedule. It took me five minutes in total to get in here, two minutes to find a power board, and another four to disable the power. In total, it took me eleven minutes. Add in the three minutes I spent smashing stuff and that gave me fourteen minutes.

I'd now been searching for a support beam for two minutes, giving me sixteen in total. Add in the ten it will probably take me to find Axel and break him out, and that gave me four minutes to get back to the Jeep. Physically impossible. So, I had to work fast.

The support pole idea worked like a charm. The Morse code echoed around the facility, and I almost panicked when I didn't hear a response. But, almost a minute later, a heard some very faint taps.

_"VIII?"_

_"IX?"_

_"Yes, what prisoner number are you?"_

_"29411813."_

_"Hold on."_

Now knowing where I had to go, I set off at a run. Right now, I was next to room 17310120, which mean I had quite a ways to go.

Three minutes later and I was still several thousand off. "How many rooms does this place NEED?" After another minute, I finally found room number 29411813. With a relieved sigh, I picked one of my smaller hand guns out of the hidden pocket on the inside of my armour.

The door was slightly ajar, meaning I didn't have to hack into a computer system or something. That was Luxord's strong point, not mine.

I threw the door open and cocked my gun. Four heads all turned to look my way, and I gave them each a smirk. The blond kid from earlier was there, and I almost groaned. _'I could've just followed him!'_

"Who are you?" My attention was drawn to a red head who looked like the mirror image of Axel, the only real difference being their eyes. I was kind of shocked, but I covered it well. I hope.

"I'm the rescue party." I explained simply. Now, my first idea was to simply kill them all, and blow the glass up with a grenade. Axel must've caught onto my plan though, because he shook his head.

"Don't kill them IX." I let out a groan. I wasn't allowed to smash cars in, I wasn't allowed to kill the enemy. Was there anything I was allowed to do?

"Fine. But you have to explain everything later!" I almost shouted at him. "I suggest you all take cover." I said as I pulled out a grenade. The three of them all jumped under the machinery as I threw the grenade. Axel simply stood there as the glass shattered.

"Let's go!" I set off at a sprint, knowing Axel would follow.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot  
Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot  
_**

* * *

**

_If you feel so empty  
So used up, so let down  
If you feel so angry  
Just get up_

**0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0**

I watched Demyx set off at a run down the hallway. I'd catch up with him in a minute.

"Axel…" I looked down at the blond boy, who blinked his large blue eyes.

"Goodbye Roxas." I started to walk out the door, remorse in my heart. As much as I wanted to take Roxas with me, I'd be killed for sure for bringing the enemy into the base.

I stopped when I felt a tug on my prisoner's jumpsuit. On the ground was Roxas, clutching at the fabric, tears streaming down his face. I felt so guilty, knowing I had to leave now. Roxas looked so vulnerable, so childlike. It was almost like travelling back in time, to when Roxas was only four years of age. The child had given me the same look, and I'd never been able to resist it.

"I'm going Roxas. You can't stop me." I sounded so cold… I didn't want Roxas to think I hated him. With a smirk, I realised what I could do. I got down on my knees so I was only slightly taller than the blond.

"Roxas… Roxas, look at me." I commanded, and the blond looked up. I bent down, and pressed my lips against his.

Roxas froze, and didn't make any move to stop me when I left this time.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
**_  
Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot  
Let's start a riot, a riot  
Let's start a riot  


* * *

_

**A/N: I'm not all too sure what happened at the end… They weren't supposed to kiss for another couple of chapters! But Axel demanded that I move this story forward. He wanted his Roxy time. So blame Axel!**

**The song is Riot by Three Days Grace. I highly recommend this song, I adore it.**

**Anyway, until next time! Votes are still opened for the pairings!  
MarVex, XigDem or XalLux?  
~Vithian**


	12. A Word of Apology

**A Word of Apology  
**Alright, so I've been a horrible person, and I'm about to be even more horrible.  
First off, this story is now on **hiatus**. I haven't updated in months, and, well, I've kind of, sorta, lost all motivation for this story. No other reason, I won't lie to you. I just can't find the will to continue it. I hope you can forgive me.  
Second, I'm thinking of going back and rewritting this so it's, y'know, better? I'm not happy at all with how I wrote the first couple of chapters, and I hope that I can make them better, people more in character, stuff like that. Better explain things. Any thoughts on this?  
So yes, that's about it. If you want to shout at me, say you're disappointed, whatever, drop a review or PM me or something. I deserve it for not updating...  
~Vithian  
P.S. Sorry for all those who thought this was an actual chapter!


End file.
